title: Association between plasma homocysteine concentrations and extracranial carotid stenosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing epidemiologic data support a relationship between elevated plasma total homocysteine levels and an increased risk for vascular disease. Higher plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels have been associated with extracranial carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction in whites. However, data regarding such associations are limited for Asians. This study examined the association between tHcy level and carotid stenosis in Iranian subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, the subjects were 158 patients with ischemic stroke, including 105 with a normal tHcy level and 53 with a high tHcy level. We investigated the extracranial carotid arteries by ultrasonography and measured serum tHcy by the ELISA method in these two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no meaningful association between a high tHcy level and carotid stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of any meaningful difference in carotid stenosis between patients with normal and elevated tHcy levels is probably due to the low frequency of extracranial disease in the Asian population and to the nature of homocysteine atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. a_mousavi@med.mui.ac.ir
authors.forename: Seyed Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoseini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine