Homocysteine and carotid intima-media thickness in a german population: lack of clinical relevance.
OBJECTIVE
Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT) is a predictor of stroke. This study aimed to analyze whether homocysteine (Hcys) metabolism influences CCA IMT.


METHODS
We analyzed the association of personal, clinical, and biochemical data (multivariate analysis) and of 9 polymorphisms involved in Hcys metabolism (ANOVA) with CCA IMT in 714 individuals of 187 families.


RESULTS
CCA IMT was significantly predicted by age, sex, creatinine levels, lipoprotein(a) levels, pack-years of smoking, the presence of hypertension, and the presence of diabetes mellitus but not by Hcys levels. Homozygosity for the T allele of the polymorphism methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase c.677C>T was significantly associated with higher Hcys levels but not with a higher CCA IMT.


CONCLUSIONS
These data do not support the thesis that elevated Hcys levels are causally involved in cerebrovascular disease.
Linnebank
Michael
M
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany. Michael.Linnebank@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Moskau
Susanna
S
Farmand
Susan
S
Fliessbach
Klaus
K
Kölsch
Heike
H
Bös
Monika
M
Grothe
Christoph
C
Becker
Dietmar
D
Harbrecht
Ursula
U
Pohl
Christoph
C
Wüllner
Ullrich
U
Klockgether
Thomas
T
D000368:Aged; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*
D006710:Homocysteine