title: Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels in hydatidiform moles and histopathological subtypes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of mole hydatidiform with plasma homocysteine, vitamin B(12), and folate levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight patients diagnosed with mole hydatidiform at our clinic between February and October 2007 were assessed in a case-control study. Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate levels, taken before evacuation of patients with hydatidiform mole, were compared with the results of 100 healthy normal pregnants of first trimester; and also plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate levels were compared according to histopathological types of mole hydatidiforms. SPSS 14.0 package program was used to analyze the data. Logarithmic transformation was applied for variables. Parameters were expressed as mean+/-standard deviation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean of plasma homocysteine levels was higher in molar group (0.8+/-0.13) than in normal pregnant group (0.7+/-0.13) and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The mean of plasma vitamin B12 levels was found to be similar both in normal pregnant women (2.4+/-0.17) and in the molars (2.4+/-0.15) (P=0.272). The mean of plasma folate levels was lower in molar group (1.0+/-0.15) than in normal pregnant women (1.2+/-0.17) and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The hydatidiform moles of 68 patients were divided into two groups according to histopathological examination: 36 patients were partial moles and the others were complete. The difference of plasma mean homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate levels in these two groups was not statistically significant. There were statistically significant differences of plasma mean homocysteine and folate levels one by one in complete and in partial moles when compared with the normal pregnants. The mean of plasma folate levels were lower (1.0+/-0.17 for partials, 1.0+/-0.13 for completes) and the homocysteine levels were higher (0.9+/-0.14 for partials, 0.8+/-0.12 for completes) than the levels of normal group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that there may be an association between plasma folate and homocysteine levels with hydatidiform moles. Folate may play a protective role in preventing molar pregnancy. Further controlled prospective studies are needed to investigate the possible effect of homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate in molar pregnancies.
authors: Department of Oncology, Dr Zekai Tahir Burak Woman's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. k.kokanal@yahoo.com.tr
authors: M Kuntay
authors: MK
authors: Kokanali
authors: Demet
authors: D
authors: Oztürkkan
authors: Naim
authors: N
authors: Unsal
authors: Perran
authors: P
authors: Möroy
authors: Tayfun
authors: T
authors: Güngör
authors: Leyla
authors: L
authors: Mollamahmutoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12