Homocysteine concentrations and molecular analysis in patients with congenital heart defects.
BACKGROUND
Congenital heart defects are the result of incomplete heart development and, like many diseases, have been associated with high homocysteine concentration.


METHODS
We evaluated homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B(12) concentrations, and the mutations 677C>T and 1298A>C in MTHFR, 844ins68 in CBS and 2756A>G in MTR genes in 58 patients with congenital heart defects, 38 control subjects, and mothers of 49 patients and 26 controls.


RESULTS
Control and patients presented normal range concentrations for homocysteine (7.66 +/- 3.16 microM and 6.95 +/- 3.12 microM, respectively), folic acid (8.31 +/- 3.00 ng/mL and 11.84 +/- 10.74 ng/mL) and vitamin B(12,) (613.56 +/- 307.57 pg/mL and 623.37 +/- 303.12 pg/mL), which did not differ among groups. For the mothers studied, homocysteine and vitamin B(12) concentrations also did not differ between groups. However, folic acid concentrations of mothers showed significant difference, the highest values being in the group of patients. No difference was found in allele frequencies among all groups studied.


CONCLUSIONS
In the studied groups, high homocysteine seems not to be correlated with congenital heart defects, as well as folic acid and vitamin B(12). The mutations studied, in isolation, were not related to congenital heart defects, but high concentration of maternal homocysteine is associated with the presence of three or four mutated alleles.
Galdieri
Luciano C
LC
Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP/EPM, São Paulo, Brazil. luciano_galdieri@yahoo.com
Arrieta
Santiago R
SR
Silva
Célia M C
CM
Pedra
Carlos A C
CA
D'Almeida
Vânia
V
D013766:5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D019731:Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases / Q000235:genetics*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D013766:5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase; D019731:Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases; C021557:5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase; D014805:Vitamin B 12