Elevated levels of plasma homocysteine are associated with neurotoxicity

• Published in: Atherosclerosis Vol. 174; no. 1; pp. 87 - 92
• Main Authors: Bisschops, Robertus H.C, van der Graaf, Yolanda, Mali, Willem P.Th.M, van der Grond, Jeroen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-05-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular risk factors; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Female; Homocysteine; Homocysteine - blood; Homocysteine - metabolism; Humans; Hyperhomocysteinemia - diagnosis; Hyperhomocysteinemia - epidemiology; Incidence; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; MR spectroscopy; Neurotoxicity Syndromes - diagnosis; Neurotoxicity Syndromes - epidemiology; Probability; Risk Assessment; Sampling Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Statistics, Nonparametric; Homocysteine; Cardiovascular risk factors; MR spectroscopy; Human; Renal function; Fasting; Linear regression; Central nervous system; Cardiovascular disease; NMR spectrometry; Encephalon; Vascular disease; Homocystein; Choline; Atherosclerosis; Risk factor
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2004.01.005

Objective: The aim of the present study is to investigate whether increased plasma homocysteine (tHcy) has an effect on the cerebral metabolic concentrations, reflecting neurotoxicity, measured with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS).
Methods: One hundred and thirteen patients had a MRS investigation of the brain and the concentration of
N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline and creatine was measured and fasting plasma tHcy was assessed. We used linear regression models to investigate the association between tHcy and cerebral metabolic concentrations.
Results: We found that tHcy is associated with cerebral NAA (
B=−0.09
mmol/l (95% CI, −0.17 to −0.00)) and with creatine (
B=−0.09
mmol/l (95% CI, −0.16 to −0.02)) per 1
μmol/l increase tHcy. Patients with a tHcy ≥14
μmol/l had a lower concentration cerebral of NAA (
P<0.05) and creatine (
P<0.01) compared with patients with a tHcy <14
μmol/l. No significant association was found for the cerebral choline.
Conclusion: Elevated levels of tHcy were associated with low concentrations of cerebral NAA and creatine, independent of renal function or the presence of atherosclerotic disease. These preliminary results suggest that tHcy has a neurotoxic effect in vivo.