title: Hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with mild chronic renal failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of high plasma levels of homocysteine in patients with mild renal failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six chronic renal failure patients (25 males and 21 females, mean age 55.6+/-14.4 years) were recruited for the study. Mean plasma creatinine was 2.1+/-1.0 mg/dl and mean creatinine clearance was 50.6+/-26.3 ml/min. Patients with severe renal failure were excluded. Patients were compared with a control group with normal renal function (n=35, 22 men and 13 women, mean age 50.0+/-11.5 years). Plasma homocysteine values were measured in both groups at baseline and after an oral overload of methionine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline homocysteine levels of patients were higher than those of controls (16.5+/-7.3 vs. 10.4+/-4.2 micromol/l, p<0.0001). Some 34 patients and 4 controls had increased plasma homocysteine levels at baseline. After the oral overload, 4 more patients had abnormally increased homocysteine levels, meaning that 83% of the patients with chronic renal failure had hyperhomocysteinemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperhomocysteinemia is a very common finding among patients with mild renal failure. The need for vitamin supplementation should be evaluated in the first stage of chronic renal failure.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Nefrología, Hospital Infanta Cristina, Carretera de Portugal s/n E-06070, Badajoz, Spain. nroblesp@meditex.es
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gomez Casero
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Escola
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sánchez Casado