Plasma 1‐carbon metabolites and academic achievement in 15‐yr‐old adolescents

Abstract

Academic achievement in adolescents is correlated with 1-carbon metabolism (1-CM), as folate intake is positively related and total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) negatively related to academic success. Because another 1-CM nutrient, choline is essential for fetal neurocognitive development, we hypothesized that choline and betaine could also be positively related to academic achievement in adolescents. In a sample of 15-yr-old children (n= 324), we measured plasma concentrations of homocysteine, choline, and betaine and genotyped them for 2 polymorphisms with effects on 1-CM, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T, rs1801133, and phosphatidylethanolamineN-methyltransferase (PEMT), rs12325817 (G>C). The sum of school grades in 17 major subjects was used as an outcome measure for academic achievement. Lifestyle and family socioeconomic status (SES) data were obtained from questionnaires. Plasma choline was significantly and positively associated with academic achievement independent of SES factors (paternal education and income, maternal education and income, smoking, school) and of folate intake (P= 0.009,R(2)= 0.285). With the addition of thePEMTrs12325817 polymorphism, the association value was only marginally changed. Plasma betaine concentration, tHcy, and theMTHFR677C>T polymorphism did not affect academic achievement in any tested model involving choline. Dietary intake of choline is marginal in many adolescents and may be a public health concern.-Nilsson, T. K., Hurtig-Wennlöf, A., Sjöström, M., Herrmann, W., Obeid, R., Owen, J. R., Zeisel, S. Plasma 1-carbon metabolites and academic achievement in 15-yr-old adolescents.

Choline and DHA in Maternal and Infant Nutrition: Synergistic Implications in Brain and Eye Health

“…In a sample of 15-year-old children ( n = 324), the sum of school grades in 17 major subjects were used as an outcome measure for academic achievement. Researchers showed that plasma choline level was significantly and positively associated with academic achievement, independent of socioeconomic status (SES) factors, and folate intake [53]. In randomized, double-blind, controlled feeding studies, maternal choline supplementation did not improve measures of infant memory or language development [54], but did improve infant information processing speed [55], bolstering support for prenatal choline supplementation.…”

Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) rs868014 Polymorphism Regulated by miR-1203 Associates with Risk and Short Term Outcome of Ischemic Stroke

“…The A1298C variant results in substitution of glutamate (Glu) to alanine (Ala) at codon 429 in the S-adenosylmethionine regulatory domain of the MTHFR protein [18, 19]. The MTHFR C677T genetic variant can lead to elevated levels of plasma tHcy and, thus, increased ischemic stroke risk [20, 21], data of which have been further confirmed in other studies [12, 13, 22]. tHcy is thought to increase thrombotic risk through induction of endothelial injury in the venous and arterial vasculature [23].…”

Hyperhomocysteinemia and Ischemic Stroke

“…Вариант A1298C приводит к замещению глутамата (Glu) на аланин (Ala) в кодоне 429 в S-аденозилметио ниновом регулятор-ном домене белка МТГФР [17,18]. Генетический вариант МТГФР C677T может приводить к повышенным уровням ГЦ плазмы и, таким образом, к увеличению риска развития ИИ [19,20], что подтверждено в других исследованиях [8,9,21].…”