title: Hyperhomocysteinemia is independently associated with albuminuria in the population-based CoLaus study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased serum levels of homocysteine and uric acid have each been associated with cardiovascular risk. We analyzed whether homocysteine and uric acid were associated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and albuminuria independently of each other. We also investigated the association of MTHFR polymorphisms related to homocysteine with albuminuria to get further insight into causality.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional population-based study in Caucasians (n = 5913). Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as total serum homocysteine ≥ 15 μmol/L. Albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio > 30 mg/g.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uric acid was associated positively with homocysteine (r = 0.246 in men and r = 0.287 in women, P < 0.001). The prevalence of albuminuria increased across increasing homocysteine categories (from 6.4% to 17.3% in subjects with normal GFR and from 3.5% to 14.5% in those with reduced GFR, P for trend < 0.005). Hyperhomocysteinemia (OR = 2.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.60-3.08, P < 0.001) and elevated serum uric acid (OR = 1.27, 1.08-1.50, per 100 μmol/L, P = 0.004) were significantly associated with albuminuria, independently of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The 2-fold higher risk of albuminuria associated with hyperhomocysteinemia was similar to the risk associated with hypertension or diabetes. MTHFR alleles related to higher homocysteine were associated with increased risk of albuminuria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the general adult population, elevated serum homocysteine and uric acid were associated with albuminuria independently of each other and of renal function.
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Lausanne and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vollenweider
authors.forename: Pedro-Manuel
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Marques-Vidal
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mooser
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paccaud
authors.forename: Murielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bochud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine; D015984:Causality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D014527:Uric Acid