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Elevated plasma homocysteine level is possibly associated with skin sclerosis in a series of Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis
Author(s) -
Motegi Seiichiro,
Toki Sayaka,
Yamada Kazuya,
Uchiyama Akihiko,
Ishikawa Osamu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/1346-8138.12642
Subject(s) - homocysteine , medicine , interstitial lung disease , plasma homocysteine , vascular disease , scleroderma (fungus) , coronary artery disease , gastroenterology , lung , pathology , inoculation
Homocysteine is a sulfhydryl‐containing amino acid that is derived from dietary methionine, and there has been increasing evidence that elevated plasma homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including carotid, coronary and peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ). The association of plasma homocysteine levels with peripheral vascular involvements, such as Raynaud phenomenon ( RP ), digital ulcers ( DU ) in systemic sclerosis ( SS c) patients has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to examine plasma homocysteine levels and their clinical associations in patients with SS c. Plasma homocysteine levels in 151 Japanese patients with SS c and 20 healthy controls were examined. No significant differences were observed in plasma homocysteine levels between SS c patients and healthy individuals. Demographic and clinical features of the SS c patients revealed that severe skin sclerosis, anti‐topoisomerase I antibody positivity, complications of DU , acro‐osteolysis ( AO ) and interstitial lung disease ( ILD ) were significantly more prevalent among the patients with elevated plasma homocysteine levels. The plasma homocysteine levels were positively correlated with modified Rodnan total skin score. The plasma homocysteine levels in the SS c patients with DU , AO and ILD were significantly higher than those in the SS c without DU , AO and ILD , respectively. Plasma homocysteine levels did not correlate with either the mean or max intima‐media thickness ( IMT ) or plaque score, suggesting that plasma homocysteine levels might not be associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis in SS c patients. The measurement of plasma homocysteine levels in SS c patients might be useful for the risk stratifications of severe skin sclerosis, DU and AO .