title: Homocysteine and other markers of cardiovascular risk during a manic episode in patients with bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate serum levels of different biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Patients were prospectively evaluated in two separate instances: during acute mania and after remission of manic symptoms. All measurements were compared with those of healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 30 patients with BD and 30 healthy controls, matched for gender and age. Biochemical parameters evaluated included homocysteine (Hcy), folic acid, vitamin B12, ferritin, creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hcy levels were significantly higher in the BD patients, both during mania and after achieving euthymia. When Hcy was adjusted for body mass index, there was no significant difference between patients and controls. Ferritin was the only marker that showed a significant decrease during mania when compared to both euthymic patients and controls. There were no significant differences for folate, vitamin B12, CK and CRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings do not show an association between alterations of markers of cardiovascular risk during manic episodes. Further studies are necessary to determine factors and mechanisms associated with cardiovascular risk in patients with BD.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Psychiatry Unit and National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. fabriachiarani@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Fábria
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarani
authors.forename: Juliana Fernandes
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tramontina
authors.forename: Keila Maria
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ceresér
authors.forename: Maurício
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paim
authors.forename: Carmen Regla
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sitta
authors.forename: Sérgio Pinto
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Angela Terezinha de Souza
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Wyse
authors.forename: Flávio Pereira
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Kapczinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D014805:Vitamin B 12