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Plasma total homocysteine in the active stage of ulcerative colitis
Author(s) -
Drzewoski Józef,
Gąsiorowska Anita,
MałeckaPanas Ewa,
Bald Edward,
Czupryniak Leszek
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2006.04255.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ulcerative colitis , gastroenterology , homocysteine , fibrinogen , vitamin b12 , risk factor , disease
Background: Homocysteine, an independent risk factor for thromboembolism, has been recently shown to be elevated in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, its relation to the activity of the disease remain unclear. Methods: Two groups were studied: group consisted of 1–30 patients with UC (17 men, 13 women, mean age 50.3 ± 14.7 years), including 15 patients with active disease. Group 2 (controls) consisted of 21 age‐, sex‐, bodyweight‐matched healthy persons (12 men, nine women, mean age 53.1 ± 12.8 years). Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) and serum folate and vitamin B12 as well as selected coagulation parameters were assessed. Results: Mean tHcy in UC patients was significantly higher than in healthy controls: 10.8 ± 3.1 mmol/L versus 6.8 ± 2.5 mmol/L ( P < 0.001). Patients with active disease had higher tHcy than patients in remission: 11.2 ± 3.5 mmol/L versus 9.0 ± 2.3 mmol/L ( P = 0.048). Patients with ≥4 recurrences of the disease had also higher tHcy than the others: 11.5 ± 3.6 mmol/L versus 9.0 ± 2.1 mmol/L ( P = 0.035). The tHcy correlated with duration of disease: r = 0.6632 ( P < 0.05). Folate and B12 levels were within their reference ranges in all subjects. However, in the patients with active disease the platelet count, fibrinogen and d ‐dimer were significantly higher than in the patients in remission and the controls. Conclusions: Ulcerative colitis is associated with elevated tHcy concentration, particularly in the active stage, and in more recurrent types of the disease; this elevation does not seem to be prevented by a normal folate status and might have an enhancing effect on the procoagulation blood profile.