title: Impaired homocysteine metabolism in patients with alcoholic liver disease in Taiwan.
abstract: ​Impaired homocysteine metabolism plays an important role in alcoholic liver disease (ALD); however, there are limited data about its relationship with the risk and severity of patients with ALD in Taiwan. To understand plasma homocysteine and related vitamin concentrations in patients with ALD in Taiwan, we recruited 50 male patients with ALD from Cathay General Hospital, with 49 age-and gender-matched healthy adults as the control group. The Institutional Review Board for Human Studies approved the study, and informed consent was obtained from all patients prior to blood collection. Significantly higher plasma homocysteine concentrations but lower folate concentrations were obtained from patients with ALD. In addition, patients with ALD showed a significant lower erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio but higher plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) concentration, which indicated that oxidative stress was occurring in patients with ALD. A negative correlation between plasma folate and homocysteine was observed in all subjects. There was also a negative correlation between plasma homocysteine and the erythrocyte GSH/GSSG ratio which indicated impaired homocysteine metabolism may have disrupted the antioxidative status. In addition, patients in Child-Pugh Class B and C showed higher plasma vitamin B12 concentrations than did patients without cirrhosis and patients in Child-Pugh Class A. These findings show that impaired homocysteine metabolism was observed in patients with ALD in Taiwan. In addition, the plasma vitamin B12 concentration may reflect the degree of liver injury.
authors: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Public Health & Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Yi-Wen
authors: YW
authors: Chien
authors: Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, 261 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors: Ya-Ling
authors: YL
authors: Chen
authors: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Public Health & Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Hsiang-Chi
authors: HC
authors: Peng
authors: Liver Unit, Cathay General Hospital, 280 Jen-Ai Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
authors: Jui-Ting
authors: JT
authors: Hu
authors: Liver Unit, Cathay General Hospital, 280 Jen-Ai Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan. Electronic address: jaab@cgh.org.tw.
authors: Sien-Sing
authors: SS
authors: Yang
authors: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Public Health & Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan. Electronic address: sokei@tmu.edu.tw.
authors: Suh-Ching
authors: SC
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013624:Taiwan; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D005978:Glutathione; D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: Alcoholic liver disease; Child-Pugh score; Folate; Homocysteine; Vitamin B(12)