title: Moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia and immune activation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia related to folate deficiency has been described in patients with cardiovascular risk and also in patients with autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 33 patients with RA, serum concentrations of homocysteine and cysteine, of B-vitamins folate and vitamin B(12), and of immune activation markers neopterin and soluble 75-kDa TNF-receptor (sTNF-R75) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant proportion of patients presented with elevated homocysteine and cysteine concentrations in comparison to reference ranges of healthy control persons. Moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia coincided with decreased serum folate and with higher concentrations of sTNF-R75 and neopterin, but it was rather independent from methotrexate (MTX) therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The coincidence of higher homocysteine and lower folate concentrations with increased concentrations of immune activation markers in patients with RA suggests that immune activation could be involved in the development of hyperhomocysteinaemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Fritz Pregl Strasse 3, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schroecksnadel
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaser
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wirleitner
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ledochowski
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mur
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herold
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D006710:Homocysteine; D003545:Cysteine; D014805:Vitamin B 12