title: [Plasma homocysteine levels in ischemic stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of plasma homocysteine and OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) syndrome in ischemic stroke (IS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 92 male IS patients were classified by apnea hypopnea index (AHI) into 2 groups: non-OSA group (AHI < 5/h) and OSA group (AHI > or = 5). All patients were tested for plasma homocysteine when polysomnography was finished at (14 +/- 2) d after the onset of IS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean level of homocysteine was significantly higher in the OSA group than that in the non-OSA group (17 +/- 5 vs 11 +/- 3 micromol/L, P < 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the homocysteine level and the severity of AHI (r = 0.482, P < 0.01). Further multiple linear regression analysis showed that AHI and folate were independent predictors of homocysteine level (R2 = 0.553, P < 0.01, beta for AHI = 0.671, beta for folate = -0.256).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of OSA is significantly associated with an elevated level of homocysteine in IS patients. And this association is independent of other causative factors of an elevated level of homocysteine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors.forename: Mao-Gang
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wu-Sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Bo-Na
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qi-Zhang
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min-Min
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: De-Zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong-Kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chao-Lai
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xian-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhao-Yao
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wan-Xiang
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ge-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xin-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010949:Plasma; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine