title: Hyperhomocysteinemia, low vitamin B12, and low folic acid: Are risk factors of cerebral vascular thrombosis in northwest Iran?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebral vascular thrombosis (CVT) is the thrombosis of intracranial and sinuses. The aim of this is to estimate of risk of low folic acid, low vitamin B12, and hyperhomocysteinemia (hyper-Hcys) for CVT.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 patients with CVT and 36 healthy controls participated in a cross-sectional case-control study. The deficient levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 defined as <10thpercentile of folic acid and vitamin B12 level and hyper-Hcys was defined as >90thpercentile of homocysteine of control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had higher levels of total homocysteine (tHcys) than controls (14.7 ± 6.5 vs. 6.4 ± 2.7 μmol/L,P= 0.001). Also, vitamin B12 level in case group was lower compared to control subjects (185.4 ± 58 vs. 299 ± 75 ng/mL,P= 0.001). Hyper-Hcys and low vitamin B12 were significantly more prevalent in CVT patients than controls. Although, significant independent association with risk of CVT was found for hyper-Hcys [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 14.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6-77.1,P= 0.002] and low vitamin B12 (adjusted OR 24.6, 95% CI: 2.3-262.9,P= 0.008). Association between low folic acid and risk of CVT was not significant. A significant negative correlation was found between the levels of tHcys and vitamin B12 (r= -0.32,P= 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyper-Hcys and low vitamin B12 were related with the high risk for CVT.
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Neurology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Taheraghdam
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Neurology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nooriyeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dalirakbari
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Neurology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Neurology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Madjid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soltani
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeid Sadeghieh
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ahari
keywords: Cerebral vascular thrombosis (CVT); deficiency; folic acid; hyperhomocysteinemia (hyper-Hcys); vitamin B12