Homocystein: A new biochemical marker in livestock sector

Abstract

The livestock sector is making great contributions to the world economy. Many different diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, kidney and mineral substance insufficiency, cause huge losses in yield and production in the livestock sector. Early diagnosis is essential to combat these diseases. Today, homocysteine levels are used as biochemical markers in the diagnosis of the functions and diseases of many different organs in human medicine. Homocysteine is an amino acid that occurs in the process of methionine metabolism and does not enter the primary structure of proteins. Homocysteine is a biochemical marker used in the assessment of cardiovascular and renal diseases as well as other organ functions. In this review, homocysteine determination methods and detailed information about which organ and system diseases can be used in livestock sector will be given.

Evaluation of serum homocysteine and nitric oxide concentrations compared with other biochemical parameters in sheep naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica

“…There is a reported relationship between serum / plasma Hcy levels and folate and vitamin B 12 levels. (Klee, 2000;Blom and Smulders, 2011;Kozat and Okman, 2017). Hcy is increased in the plasma of patients with deficiency in vitamin B 12 or folate (Klee, 2000).…”

“…Homocysteine is an intermediate in methionine metabolism, which takes place mainly in the liver (Still and McDowell, 1998;García-Tevijano et al, 2001; Kozat and Okman, 2017). Hcy is a sulfuric amino acid formed during the methionine metabolism and does not enter the primary structure of proteins (García-Tevijano et al, 2001;Fischer et al, 2003;Kozat and Okman, 2017). 70% of total homocysteine in plasma is bound to protein.…”

“…70% of total homocysteine in plasma is bound to protein. One-fourth of it is present as disulfide homocysteine by binding to each other, the rest as cysteine-homocysteine or homocysteine thiolactone (Kozat and Okman, 2017). Hcy is metabolized in two major metabolic pathways: the remethylation and transsulfuration cycle (Blom and Smulders, 2011).…”

“…This methylation reaction results in S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH). SAH is converted into Hcy by a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme hydrolase, and all reactions occur in the liver (Kozat and Okman, 2017). The liver plays a crucial role in sulfur amino acid metabolism.…”

“…Chronic liver diseases and especially cirrhosis cause abnormalities in the methionine metabolism, which reflects disorders in multiple enzyme levels. Disorders in methionine demethylation, transsulfuration and remethylation of homocysteine, as well as cystathionine synthesis and hydrolysis, have been described both at the functional and genetic levels throughout the natural course of chronic liver diseases (Ventura et al, 2005;Kozat and Okman, 2017). Increases in total homocysteine levels, that is, the role of homocysteine in atherogenesis, atherosclerosis and thrombosis in hyperhomocysteinemia, cause cardiovascular system disease (Cayir and Kozat, 2016).…”