Plasma homocysteine levels in patients with β‐thalassaemia major

Abstract

Objective. We investigated the level of homocysteine (HCY) and its relation with vitamin B12, folate and oxidative stress in patients with β‐thalassaemia major. Material and methods. Plasma HCY, methionine, advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and serum vitamin B12, folate, ferritin and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined in 32 thalassaemic patients and 27 control subjects. Results. HCY (6.44±0.44 versus 8.71±0.57 µmol/L), methionine (12.57±1.8 versus 22.2±3.8 µmol/L), folate (9.14±0.48 versus 15.38±0.71 nmol/L) and TAC (0.34±0.03 versus 0.56±0.03 mmol/L) significantly decreased in thalassaemic patients, whereas AOPP (20.26±1.8 versus 11.30±0.2 μmol/L) and ferritin (3481.0±512 versus 46.9±4.6 ng/mL) significantly increased. Vitamin B12 levels were similar in both groups (259.1±16.6 versus 228.9±7.4 pmol/L). Conclusions. These findings suggest that increased and uncompensated oxidative stress may lead to an increment in HCY catabolism in thalassaemic patients.

• Folic acid
• homocysteine
• oxidative stress
• thalassaemia
• vitamin B12

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the Akdeniz University Research Projects Unit.