• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.211-218
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• 2005

Elevated homocysteine concentration is known to be related to placental abruption, spontaneous abortion, and many adverse pregnancy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of folic acid supplementation ($1000{\cal}ug$ per day) and 5, 10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism genotype on serum homocysteine and B vitamin levels in 50 infertile women ($31.2{\pm}3.2\;years$). Blood sampling was performed at baseline and at the end of folic acid supplementation period. In infertile women, serum folate and vitamin $B_{12}$ concentrations were significantly higher in post-supplementation than those in pre-supplementation. Serum homocysteine concentration was significantly lower in post-supplementation than that in pre-supplementation. However, serum homocysteine levels were still higher in the T/T genotype than those in the C/C or C/T even after folic acid supplementation. Serum homo-cysteine was inversely related to serum folate in T/T homozygotes at baseline and at the end of folic acid supplementation. These results suggest that folic acid supplementation is needed for infertile women to improve their vitamin status and also to reduce the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia. These effects were different according to their MTHFR C677T genotypes. Therefore, further studies are necessary to determine the optimal level of supplementation of folic acid by MTHFR genotypes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.443-452
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• 2010

Elevated plasma concentration of total homocysteine (ptHcy) is known as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and oxidative stress is also commonly implicated in CVD. An association between ptHcy and oxidative stress has recently been suggested. The study objective is to examine the relationship between ptHcy and oxidative stress markers in 103 healthy college students (62 males and 41 females). Plasma levels of ptHcy, oxidative stress markers (conjugated diene, erythrocyte catalase, TRAP, lymphocyte DNA damage), antioxidant vitamins ($\alpha$-tocopherol, $\gamma$-tocopherol, carotenoids), and lipid parameters (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol) were determined. The results show that the concentration of ptHcy was significantly higher in male subjects ($22.17\;{\pm}\;2.14\;{\mu}mole/L$) than in female subjects ($12.28\;{\pm}\;0.45\;{\mu}mole/L$). There was a negative association between ptHcy and plasma ${\beta}$-carotene in male subjects (p $lt; 0.05), but no correlation between ptHcy and other plasma antioxidant vitamin levels in either gender. However, there were the negative correlations between ptHcy and plasma ${\alpha}$-carotene or ${\beta}$-carotene, and a positive correlation between ptHcy and lymphocyte DNA damage. A significantly low level of ${\alpha}$-carotene or ${\beta}$-carotene was found in male subjects with elevated ptHcy (${\geq}\;15\;{\mu}mol/L$), as compared to those with lower plasma homocysteine. These study results confirmed the views on the association between plasma homocysteine and oxidative stress markers in humans and support the hypothesis that homocysteine promotes the oxidative environment by counteracting the antioxidant defense mechanism.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.107-118
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• 2009

In patients with type 2 diabetes, oxidative stress could be increased by their metabolic changes. Elevated plasma homocysteine is considered as one of markers of enhanced oxidative stress. Due to oxidative stress, some complications like cardiovascular or renal diseases may develop in type 2 diabetes patients. Plasma homocysteine concentration may be increased if folate status were inadequate. Protective effects against oxidative stress may be diminished if the status of anti-oxidative nutrient as vitamin C was poor. It is, therefore, important to maintain adequate status of folate and vitamin C in type 2 diabetes patients. Thus, this study was performed to determine the effects of supplementation of folate and/or ascorbate on blood glycated hemoglobin ($HbA_{1c}$) level, serum concentrations of homocysteine and cholesterol, plasma oxidized low density-lipoprotein (LDL), concentration and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 92 type 2 diabetes patients participated voluntarily with written consents. They were divided into one of the four experimental groups; Control (C), Folate-supplemented (F), Ascorbate-supplemented (A), and Folate plus ascorbate-supplemented (FA). The subjects in C were taken placebo, those in F were supplemented 1 mg of folate, those in A received 1,000 mg of ascorbate, and those in FA were given 1 mg of folate plus 1,000 mg of ascorbate daily for 4 weeks. Supplementation of folate or ascorbate resulted to increase serum folate level or plasma ascorbate concentration apparently, respectively. Folate supplementation not ascorbate seemed to decrease plasma concentrations of homocysteine and oxidized LDL and reduce plasma GSH-Px activity. There might not be synergic effect of the supplementation of folate plus ascorbate. The results indicate that oxidative stress in the patients with type 2 diabetes may lower mainly by folate supplementation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.163-168
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• 2014

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are known to play an important role in the repair of damaged blood vessels. We used an endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming assay (EPC-CFA) to determine whether EPC numbers could be increased in healthy individuals through regular exercise training. The number of functional EPCs obtained from human peripheral blood-derived AC133 stem cells was measured after a 28-day regular exercise training program. The number of total endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming units (EPC-CFU) was significantly increased compared to that in the control group (p=0.02, n=5). In addition, we observed a significant decrease in homocysteine levels followed by an increase in the number of EPC-CFUs (p=0.04, n=5), indicating that the 28-day regular exercise training could increase the number of EPC colonies and decrease homocysteine levels. Moreover, an inverse correlation was observed between small-endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming units (small-EPC-CFUs) and plasma homocysteine levels in healthy men (r=-0.8125, p=0.047). We found that regular exercise training could increase the number of EPC-CFUs and decrease homocysteine levels, thus decreasing the cardiovascular disease risk in men.

• 분석과학
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.736-742
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• 2000

SPME/GC-MS 방법을 이용하여 호모시스테인, 메치오닌 및 시스테인의 혈액중의 함량을 측정하고 관상동맥질환과 호모시스테인의 함량과의 관계를 조사하였다. 혈액중의 호모시스테인, 메치오닌 및 시스테인은 관상동맥질환의 위해성에 대한 생체표식인자로 알려지고 있다. 관상동맥질환자들에 대한 이들의 함량분포는 호모시스테인의 경우 $18.47-33.38{\mu}mol/L$,메치오닌피 경우는 $30.16-55.72{\mu}mol/L$ 그리고 시스테인의 경우는 $183.16-387.32{\mu}mol/L$ 범위의 함량을 보였다. 이 방법은 시간과 노력이 절약되고 또한 용매의 제한 사용으로 훨씬 환경 친화적인 방법임을 시사하였다.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.327-333
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Complications of diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease, are associated with increased mortality among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Homocysteine has been recently identified as a predictor of cardiovascular disease-related complications in diabetes. We investigated whether or not supplementation with folic acid tablets can lower homocysteine levels and improve parameters related with vascular complications. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted a non-randomized 8-week trial involving postmenopausal diabetic women (n = 25) supplemented with $800{\mu}g$ of folic acid ($400{\mu}g$ twice a day) daily. Subjects' serum levels of folate, homocysteine, and vitamin $B_{12}$ were measured, along with vascular function and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. RESULTS: Folic acid supplementation significantly increased serum folate levels (P < 0.0001), reduced homocysteine levels (P < 0.0001), and increased vitamin $B_{12}$ levels (P = 0.0063). There were significant decreases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as well as the ratios of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities were not altered by supplementation. Changes in serum vitamin $B_{12}$ after folic acid supplementation were negatively correlated with changes in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. CONCLUSIONS: In this study on postmenopausal Korean women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, folic acid supplementation reduced serum homocysteine levels, increased serum folate and vitamin $B_{12}$ levels, and lowered lipid parameters.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.464-475
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Increased levels of uremic toxins and decreased antioxidant capacity have a significant impact on the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it remains unclear whether they interact with each other to mediate the damage of kidney function. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether uremic toxins (i.e., homocysteine and indoxyl sulfate [IS]), as well as glutathione-dependent antioxidant enzyme activities are dependently or independently associated with kidney function during different stages of CKD patients. SUBJECTS/METHODS: One hundred thirty-two patients diagnosed with CKD at stages 1 to 5 participated in this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Patients who had reached an advanced CKD stage experienced an increase in plasma uremic toxin levels, along with decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. Plasma homocysteine, cysteine, and IS concentrations were all positively associated with each other, but negatively correlated to GSH-Px activity levels after adjusting for potential confounders in all CKD patients. Although plasma homocysteine, cysteine, IS, and GSH-Px levels were significantly associated with kidney function, only plasma IS levels still had a significant association with kidney function after these parameters were simultaneously adjusted. In addition, plasma IS could interact with GSH-Px activity to be associated with kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: IS plays a more dominant role than homocysteine and GSH-Px activity in relation to kidney function.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.219-224
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• 2009

This study was aimed at investigating the correlation between Homocysteine and Serum Lipids in Cerebral Infarction Patients. This study was done with 69 cases of cerebral infarction patients who admitted to department of the internal medicine Jeonju Oriental Medical hospital, Wonkwang University from June in 2007 to May in 2008 and with 46 people without 6 major risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, past history of CVA and TIA) as control group recruited at department of the internal medicine Iksan Oriental Medical hospital, Wonkwang University from March in 2008 to March in 2008. The general characteristics along with blood homocysteine and serum lipids are recorded and analyzed according to blood homocysteine levels. A total of 69 patients and 46 control groups were included in the trial. In cerebral infarction patients, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride were increased according to concentration of homocysteine, but no statistical significance was noted in this study. The Correlation between Homocysteine and Serum Lipids was not proven. Further research on the subject is needed.

• 정신신체의학
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.23-30
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• 2014

연구목적 호모시스테인은 인지기능의 손상과 다양한 정신과 증상들과 연관되어 있다. 본 연구는 혈중 호모시스테인 농도와 치매의 행동심리증상 사이에 연관성을 검증하기 위해서 시행되었다. 방법 DSM-IV에 의해 알쯔하이머형 치매로 진단된 환자 41명의 혈중 호모시스테인, 엽산, 비타민 $B_{12}$ 농도를 측정하였다. 그리고 병력청취, 신체검사와 간이정신상태기능검사(MMSE), 전반적 퇴화척도(GDS), 임상치매 평가척도(CDR), 한국형 신경정신행동검사(K-NPI)를 수행하였다. 결과 호모시스테인 농도와 NPI 총 점수 사이에 통계적으로 유의한 양의 상관관계가 관찰되었고 망상, 초조/공격성, 우울/불쾌, 들뜸/흥분과 같은 여러 하위항목과도 양의 상관관계가 관찰되었다. 호모시스테인 농도와 MMSE, GDS, CDR 점수 사이에는 유의한 상관관계가 관찰되지 않았다. 결론 본 연구는 혈중 호모시스테인 농도가 치매의 행동심리증상과 연관되어 있음을 보여준다. 추가적인 연구를 통하여 이와 연관된 병태생리학적 기전을 밝히는 것이 필요하다.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.56-62
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• 2009

Objectives: We tried to clarify the relationship between lifestyle and plasma homocysteine concentration. We analyzed the data of patients with acute ischemic stroke from the Hanbang stroke registry supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea. Methods: 458 subjects were recruited from the patients admitted to the Internal Medical Department of Kyunghee University oriental medical center, Dongguk University Ilsan oriental medical center, Kyungwon University Songpa oriental medical center and Kyungwon University Incheon oriental medical center from April 2007 to August 2008. We divided the subjects into four groups by quartiles of plasma homocysteine concentrations and compared the first and last quartile groups. Results: 1. In univariate analysis, the high homocysteine concentration group showed higher rate of older age, male gender, smoking, drinking and lower values in vitamin B12, folic acid, creatinine than the control group with statistical significance. 2. In multivariate analysis, older age, male gender smoking and folic acid showed a close relationship with statistical significance (each OR=3.620, OR=4.218, OR=3.558, OR=0.789). Conclusions: According to the analysis, the relationship between high homocysteine concentration and smoking in patients with acute ischemic stroke were clarified. We hope to standardize and establish criteria on homocysteine in Korea by large epidemiological survey. These study results could be utilized in the future as a basis material.