HOMOCYSTEINEMIA AND ENDOTHELIAL DAMAGE AFTER METHIONINE LOAD

Homocysteinemia increased significantly after a methionine load of 50 mg/kg in patients with peripheral artery occlusive disease but this lo ad was insufficient to increase circulating endothelial cell count as a marker of endothelial damage. Only after an increased load of 100 mg /kg methionine circulating endothelial cells also increased markedly c onfirming the results of a previous experimental study. These data ind icate a threshold concentration of homocysteine in blood necessary to induce endothelial lesions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.