title: Plasma homocysteine in Alzheimer's disease with or without co-morbid depressive symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elevated homocysteine is associated with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and depressive disorder. This study was designed to detect an association between plasma homocysteine and AD with or without co-morbid depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured in 85 AD patients (36 of them with depressive symptoms), 33 non-AD patients with a depression diagnosis and 44 healthy controls, all aged above 50 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive correlation between age and homocysteine was confirmed. Significantly higher mean plasma homocysteine was found in AD patients, but not in depressive patients, when compared with controls. We confirmed significant correlation between homocysteine concentration and the degree of cognitive impairment in AD patients. There was no incremental effect of concurrent depressive symptoms on homocysteine concentration in AD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association of high homocysteine with degree of cognitive impairment or stage of dementia in AD indicate potential role of high plasma homocysteine as a biomarker of the disease and/or indicator of brain damage during the progression of AD dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kitzlerová
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenĕk
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fisar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jirák
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zvĕrová
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hroudová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benaková
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raboch
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine