title: Significant reduction of serum homocysteine level and oral symptoms after different vitamin-supplement treatments in patients with burning mouth syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum homocysteine level is a biomarker of cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 399 primary and secondary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients without or with hematinic deficiencies were treated with vitamin BC capsules plus none, one, or two deficient hematinics depending on the corresponding deficiency statuses of the patients. One hundred and seventy-seven patients showed complete remission of all oral symptoms after treatment. The blood homocysteine, vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, and hemoglobin concentrations at baseline and after treatment till all oral symptoms had disappeared in these 177 complete-response BMS patients were measured and compared by paired t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For BMS patients with concomitant deficiencies of vitamin B12 only (n = 48), folic acid only (n = 12), vitamin B12 plus folic acid (n = 9), or vitamin B12 plus iron (n = 15), supplementations with vitamin BC capsules plus corresponding deficient hematinics could significantly reduce the abnormally high serum homocysteine levels to normal levels after a mean treatment period of 5.4-8.2 months (all P-values < 0.01). For BMS patients without definite hematinic deficiencies (n = 62), supplementation with vitamin BC capsules only could also significantly decrease the relatively higher homocysteine levels to significantly lower levels after a mean treatment period of 10.2 months (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific supplementations with vitamin BC capsules plus none or corresponding deficient vitamin B12 and/or folic acid can reduce the abnormally high serum homocysteine levels to normal levels in BMS patients without or with deficiencies of corresponding hematinics.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hung-Pin
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hsin-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shih-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chun-Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002118:Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010205:Pantothenic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013831:Thiamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D025101:Vitamin B 6 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006397:Hematinics; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006710:Homocysteine; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D010205:Pantothenic Acid; D009536:Niacinamide; C021024:ferric hydroxide; D025101:Vitamin B 6; D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D002118:Calcium; D012256:Riboflavin; D013831:Thiamine
keywords: burning mouth syndrome; folic acid; hemoglobin; homocysteine; iron; vitamin B12