Correlation between Plasma Total Homocysteine and Copper in Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease

Abstract

Background: Increased concentrations of both plasma total homocysteine and copper are separately associated with cardiovascular disease. Correlations between plasma total homocysteine, trace elements, and vitamins in patients with peripheral vascular disease have not been investigated. Methods: The concentrations of trace elements in plasma were determined by the multielement analytical technique of total-reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Plasma total homocysteine was determined by HPLC. Results: In the univariate and multivariate regression analyses, copper was positively correlated with plasma total homocysteine in all subjects (coefficient ± SE, 0.347 ± 0.113; P = 0.0026 and coefficient ± SE, 0.422 ± 0.108; P = 0.0002, respectively), and in patients with peripheral vascular disease (coefficient ± SE, 0.370 ± 0.150; P = 0.016; and coefficient ± SE, 0.490 ± 0.151; P = 0.0025, respectively). Correlation between copper and plasma total homocysteine was not detected in healthy control subjects. The concentration of calcium in plasma (67.5 vs 80.8 μg/g) was significantly lower in the patients than in the control subjects (P = 0.02). When the patients were divided into groups, the patients with suprainguinal lesions had significantly higher copper concentrations (P = 0.04) and significantly lower selenium and calcium concentrations (P = 0.01 and 0.008, respectively) than the healthy subjects. Patients had higher concentrations of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL and concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance than the healthy subjects (P <0.0001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The concentrations of plasma total homocysteine and α-tocopherol were significantly higher, and the concentrations of vitamin B6 and β-carotene were lower in the patients than the healthy subjects. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the atherogenicity of homocysteine may be related to copper-dependent interactions.

Triethylenetetramine reduces some blood parameters in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in New Zealand white rabbit: evidence for histopathologic effects

“…(10). Moreover, the atherogenicity of homocysteine might be associated with copper (11). Sialic acid (SA), an acetylated derivative of neuraminic acid, is widely distributed in mammal tissues and body fluids and the localized SA at the end chain of many acute phase proteins can be used as a valuable indicator for diagnosis and prognosis of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, nephropathies and pneumonia.…”

Effect of a methionine-supplemented diet on the blood pressure of Sprague–Dawley and deoxycorticosterone acetate–salt hypertensive rats

“…An association between elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations and peripheral arterial disease has been shown by several epidemiological studies (Taylor et al 1999;Mansoor et al 2000). Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) is associated with alterations in endothelial morphology (McCully 1969;Matthias et al 1996), endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (Kanani et al 1999;Ungvari et al 1999;Hanratty et al 2001), smooth muscle cell proliferation, collagen synthesis (Majors et al 1997) and deterioration of elastic material of the vascular wall (Charpiot et al 1998).…”

Endothelial Function in Healthy Younger and Older Hyperhomocysteinemic Subjects

“…In vitro, homocysteine generates cytotoxic substances such as superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxides, which can reduce or inactivate NO 23 . In humans, acute methionine‐induced hyperhomocysteinemia increases plasma oxidation products, 24 and the same has been reported in hyperhomocysteinemic patients with peripheral vascular disease 25 . Usui 26 and Chambers 27 have reported that the reduction of superoxide anion production by folic acid and vitamin C prevents the decrease in flow‐mediated vasodilatation after a methionine load, but other authors have not demonstrated that oxidability of LDL‐C or lipoperoxidation assessed by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance or by cholesteryl ester hydroperoxide are greater in hyperhomocysteinemic or older subjects 28,29 .…”