Associations of plasma homocysteine level with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, LDL atherogenicity, and inflammation profile in healthy men.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) with arterial stiffness, measured as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), LDL atherogenicity, and inflammation profile in healthy men.


RESULTS
In this cross-sectional study, 612 healthy men aged 31-79 years were classified into quartiles according to plasma tHcy concentration. In the total study population, tHcy concentration showed positive correlation with age (r=0.083, P=0.040), interleukin (IL)-1β (r=0.249, P<0.001), TNF-α (r=0.150, P<0.001), IL-6 (r=0.154, P<0.001), oxidized LDL (oxLDL) (r=0.161, P=<0.001), and baPWV (r=0.087, P=0.032); and negative correlation with folate (r=-0.353, P<0.001) and vitamin B(12) (r=-0.269, P<0.001). In subgroup analysis based on plasma tHcy level, tHcy was associated with baPWV in men with high levels of tHcy (≥ 13.1μmol/L, n=153; r=0.258, P=0.001), but not in those with low-tHcy (<13.1 μmol/L, n=459; r=-0.033, P=0.478). The association between tHcy and baPWV in the high-tHcy group remained significant after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, drinking, folate, and vitamin B₁₂. In the high-tHcy group, tHcy level was also positively correlated with IL-1β, TNF-α, oxLDL, and blood pressure; and negatively correlated with LDL particle size. In addition, baPWV showed negative correlation with LDL particle size and positive correlation with oxLDL in the high-tHcy group.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows an association between high levels of plasma tHcy and more advanced arterial stiffness, smaller LDL particle size, and higher levels of oxLDL and cytokines in men with hyperhomocysteinemia. Enhanced arterial stiffness in hyperhomocysteinemia might be attributed, in part, to Hcy-related LDL atherogenicity.
National Research Laboratory of Clinical Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics, Dept. of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Yonsei Univ., Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jisuk
J
Yun
Ji Young
JY
Kim
Oh Yoen
OY
Kim
Yangsoo
Y
Jang
Jey Sook
JS
Chae
Jung Hyun
JH
Kwak
Hyo Hee
HH
Lim
Hyun Young
HY
Park
Sang-Hyun
SH
Lee
Jong Ho
JH
Lee
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply*; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D044466:Asian People; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D006710:Homocysteine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12