Serum homocysteine is weakly associated with von Willebrand factor and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule I, but not with C-reactive protein in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects - The Hoorn Study

Background Hyperhomocysteinaemia may constitute an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it is still unclear by which pathophysiolog ical mechanisms homocysteine (tHcy) may promote atherothrombosis. The aim o f this study was firstly to examine whether tHcy is associated with endothe lial dysfunction, increased adherence of leukocytes, and/or chronic low-gra de inflammation, as estimated from plasma levels of von Willebrand factor ( vWf), soluble Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) and C-reactive pr otein (CRP), respectively. Secondly we investigated whether the presence of type 2 diabetes modifies these associations. Materials and Methods Six hundred and ten subjects of a general population of middle-aged and elderly subjects, 170 of whom had type 2 diabetes, parti cipated in this cross-sectional study. Linear regression analyses were used to study whether tHcy was associated with vWf, sVCAM-1 and CRP, and whethe r the presence of diabetes modified these associations. Results After adjustment for confounders, tHcy was significantly but weakly associated with vWf (beta = 0.15, P = 0.05) and sVCAM-1 (beta = 0.082, P = 0.04). tHcy was not significantly associated with CRP (beta = 0.02, P = 0. 91). The presence of diabetes did not significantly modify these associatio ns. Conclusions This study provides evidence that tHcy is, at most, weakly asso ciated with endothelial dysfunction as estimated from plasma vWf, and with leukocyte adhesion as estimated from plasma sVCAM-1. tHcy was not significa ntly associated with chronic low-grade inflammation as estimated from plasm a CRP. Our data thus suggest that the link between tHcy and atherothrombosi s cannot be explained by associations of tHcy with vWf, sVCAM-1 or CRP.