Plasma total homocysteine in the active stage of ulcerative colitis

Abstract

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. 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. 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 > or =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. 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.