Causes of hyperhomocysteinemia and its pathological significance

• Published in: Archives of pharmacal research Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 372 - 383
• Main Authors: Kim, Jihyun, Kim, Hyunhee, Roh, Heewon, Kwon, Youngjoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Pharmaceutical Society of Korea 01-04-2018; 대한약학회
• Subjects: Medicine; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Review; 약학; Disease caused by hyperhomocysteinemia; Homocysteine; Hyperhomocysteinemia
• ISSN: 0253-6269; 1976-3786
• DOI: 10.1007/s12272-018-1016-4

In the last 10 years, homocysteine has been regarded as a marker of cardiovascular disease and a definite risk factor for many other diseases. Homocysteine is biosynthesized from methionine through multiple steps and then goes through one of two major metabolic pathways: remethylation and transsulfuration. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a state in which too much homocysteine is present in the body. The main cause of hyperhomocysteinemia is a dysfunction of enzymes and cofactors associated with the process of homocysteine biosynthesis. Other causes include excessive methionine intake, certain diseases and side effects of some drugs. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a trigger for many diseases, such as atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, age-related macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease and hearing loss. There are many studies showing a positive relationship between homocysteine level and various symptoms. We speculate that a high level of homocysteine can be the sole reason or an aggravating factor in numerous diseases for which causal links are not fully understood.