Homocysteinemia, serum folate and vitamin B-12 in very young patients withdiabetes mellitus type 1

Background: Recently a link between hyper-homocysteinemia [HH(e)] and diabe tic micro and macrovascular complications has been reported. However, it is far from clear whether HH(e) is an epiphenomenon or a cause of angiopathic complications. Objective: To try to clarify this question we studied adolescents and young diabetic patients without or with only initial complications, Subjects: plasma levels of basal homocysteinemia [H(e)], folate and vitamin B-12 were measured in 76 young diabetic patients (age range 13.6-32.2 yr) and 70 normal volunteers matched for sex and age. In 68 diabetic patients a nd 53 controls we evaluated the levels of homocysteinemia 2 h after a methi onine-loading test, Methods: Total (free + protein bound) plasma H(e) level was measured by HPL C. Results: Basal or post-load HH(e) occurred in 4.1% of diabetic patients and 12.4% of controls (frequencies not statistically different). In diabetic p atients plasma homocysteine values were statistically lower than in control s, but this difference was present only in females, The females showed lowe r homocysteine values and higher folate levels than males only in the diabe tic group, We did not find significant differences in H(e) levels between p atients with early complications, late complications or without complicatio ns of any type. Conclusions: Considering very young diabetic patients, the risk of hyperhom ocysteinemia does not appear to be greater than in normal controls. Further more, our data seem to demonstrate that HH(e) is not a preexisting conditio n in diabetic patients, even in those predisposed to early complications.