title: Plasma vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine levels in gastrectomized men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, dementia and depression. Prevalence rate of hyperhomocysteinemia in gastrectomized patients is not well elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared plasma total homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate of gastrectomized male patients with those of control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total homocysteine was higher in gastrectomized patients than in control subjects (11.7 +/- 4.4 micromol/l vs. 9.3 +/- 2.4 micromol/l, P = .011), while vitamin B12 was lower in patients than in control subjects (382 +/- 211 pg/ml vs. 500 +/- 179 pg/ml, P = .020). Folate of the two groups was comparable (5.8 +/- 2.5 ng/ml vs. 5.9 +/- 2.2 ng/ml). Of 31 gastrectomized patients six (19.4%) showed low vitamin B12 (<233 pg/ml), four (12.9%) low folate (<3.0 ng/ml) and seven (22.6%) hyperhomocysteinemia (>14 micromol/l), whereas they were found in one (3.2%), none (0%) and one (3.2%) of 31 control subjects, respectively. Patients who had undergone gastrectomy because of cancer showed higher total homocysteine compared to patients who had undergone it because of peptic ulcer. Type of surgery did not correlate with total homocysteine in the present study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperhomocysteinemia is not rare in male Japanese gastrectomized patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Self-Defense Forces, Central Hospital, Ikejiri 1-2-24, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-8532, Japan. hsakuta@msa.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hidenari
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakuta
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakiyama
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hase
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000601:surgery; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12