Elevated homocysteine levels indicate suboptimal folate status in pediatric sickle cell patients
✍ Scribed by van der Dijs, Fey P. L.; Schnog, John-John B.; Brouwer, D.A. Janneke; Velvis, Herman J. R.; van den Berg, Gita A.; Bakker, Andries J.; Duits, Ashley J.; Muskiet, Fred D.; Muskiet, Frits A. J.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 66 KB
- Volume
- 59
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0361-8609
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✦ Synopsis
We investigated whether pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) (9 ± 4 years; 27 homozygous SCD [HbSS]; 19 sickle-C disease [HbSC]) have different folate status compared with age-, sex-, and race-matched normal hemoglobin (HbAA) controls (n = 20), and whether their folate status can be improved by folate supplementation. The patients were supplemented with vitamins B 6 and B 12 during one week and with folate during the following week. Circulating folate, homocysteine, vitamin B 6 and vitamin B 12 levels were measured at baseline (patients and controls), after one week and after two weeks (patients). The patients had similar folate, vitamin B 6 , and vitamin B 12 , but higher homocysteine levels compared with HbAA controls (12.7 ± 4.5 vs. 10.9 ± 3.5 µmol/l; P = 0.04). Vitamin B 6 and B 12 supplementation did not change their homocysteine levels, but folate supplementation caused a 53% reduction (to 5.7 ± 1.6). We conclude that patients with SCD have adequate vitamin B 6 and B 12 status, but suboptimal folate status, leading to elevated plasma homocysteine levels. They may therefore benefit from folate supplementation to reduce their high risk for endothelial damage.