Elevated plasma homocysteine is positively associated with age independent of C677T mutation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene in selected Egyptian subjects

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the plasma homocysteine (tHcy) and folate levels as well as the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutation in Egyptian subjects. Fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) and the (MTHFR) C677T mutation were evaluated in 50 healthy young control males (age 35-50 years, Gp1), 50 elderly males age ranged between 50-75 years without any cardiovascular diseases (Gp2) and 50 age matched elderly male patients (Gp3) with myocardial infarction. There was a significant elevation of plasma tHcy in the patients group and Gp2 compared to the young control group (Gp1). The total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) in the control group, Gp2 and the patients group were 17.99 ± 9.76, 39.9 ± 20.06 and 43.8 ± 13.13 μmol/L respectively. The frequency of the TT genotype was 12% in the patient group compared with 8 % in the young healthy controls and elderly subjects (Gp2). The CT genotype constituted 36%, 48% and 44% in the control group, Gp2 and the patients group respectively. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of the TT genotype between the studied groups. Plasma tHcy correlated positively with age, total cholesterol, urea, creatinine, glucose levels and carotid intimal thickness (CIT). Conclusion: The MTHFR mutation does not seem to be associated with either high tHcy or the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases in the studied patients. However, elevated plasma tHcy level positively correlates with age in the studied subjects.

Vascular complications of cystathionine β-synthase deficiency: future directions for homocysteine-to-hydrogen sulfide research

“…It remains unknown whether CBS-deficient mice have normal cognitive ability and normal brain histology. Plasma [Hcy] steadily increases with age (42,127,136,164). Hcy also increases blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability (77,93,99), which may be an important factor in the etiology of small vessel disease and dementia (17,27,36,76,85,105,147,155,161,172,179).…”

Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Aortic Aneurysms

“…Studies of atheroma in humans and atherogenic mice exhibit a global loss of genomic 5-methyl-Cytosine content, a common occurrence in neoplastic cells [143–145]. 5-Methyl-C is produced by transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine, a process that is inhibited by decreased MTHFR activity and elevated homocysteine levels associated with aging [146–148]. One investigator proposes that DNA methylation measures the cumulative effect of the epigenetic maintenance system and may predict many age-related diseases [149].…”

Effects of methionine synthase and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms on markers of one-carbon metabolism

“…Positive controls and blank control were run on each batch. The MTHFR C677T genotyping method by PCR-RFLP has been reported previously (El-Sammak et al 2004). To ensure reliability of the PCR-RFLP assay, genotyping was repeated for 10 % of the samples and two samples of each genotype were randomly selected and subjected to direct DNA sequencing to verify genotype; concordance was found to be 100 %.…”