A. Gupta et al., HIGH HOMOCYSTEINE, LOW FOLATE, AND LOW VITAMIN-B-6 CONCENTRATIONS - PREVALENT RISK-FACTORS FOR VASCULAR-DISEASE IN HEART-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS, Transplantation, 65(4), 1998, pp. 544-550
Background, A high plasma homocysteine concentration is a risk factor
for atherosclerosis and thrombosis, which are major causes of morbidit
y and mortality in heart transplant patients, High homocysteine concen
trations may be caused by lower folate and vitamin B-6 levels, We hypo
thesized that these patients might have high homocysteine concentratio
ns and low levels of folate and vitamin B-6, which could contribute to
the development of vascular complications, Methods, Total fasting pla
sma homocysteine was measured in 189 cardiac transplant recipients and
in healthy controls, as were concentrations of folate, vitamin B-12,
vitamin B-6, and creatinine, Results, Homocysteine concentrations were
higher in recipients than controls (19.1+/-13.0 vs, 11.0+/-3.0 mu mol
/L, P<0.01), and hyperhomocysteinemia (>90th percentile for controls,
14.6 mu mol/L) was seen in 68% of recipients (P<0.01), Folate and vita
min B-6 concentrations were lower (5.9+/-4.2 vs. 7.9+/-4.2 pmol/L and
40+/-25 vs, 84+/-77 nmol/L, respectively; P<0.01 for both), Folate and
vitamin B-6 deficiencies were seen in 10.8% and 17.9% of recipients,
respectively (P<0.01), Hyperhomocysteinemia was more frequent in patie
nts with vascular complications after transplantation than in those wi
thout (79.2% vs, 63.8%, P<0.05), Conclusions, Elevated plasma homocyst
eine and deficiencies of folate and vitamin B-6 are common in transpla
nt recipients. A high homocysteine concentration was more common in pa
tients with vascular complications, Prospective studies are now requir
ed to evaluate the role of these abnormalities as risk factors for the
atherothrombotic complications of transplantation.