• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.501-510
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• 2010

This study was conducted to assess blood components caused by metabolic syndrome increasing in postmenopausal elderly women. The blood samples of these subjects were analyzed to investigate the correlation of plasma taurine levels and plasma homocysteine levels, and serum lipid profiles. The subjects were 33 elderly women($72.8{\pm}4.4$ years). Their mean height, weight and BMI were $150.5{\pm}5.7\;cm$, $57.5{\pm}6.3\;kg$ and $25.4{\pm}2.5\;kg/m^2$. 16 women of this study subjects have been chronic diseases such as hypertension or diabetes. Their fasting blood glucose was $98.2{\pm}24.0\;mg/d{\ell}$, and their plasma total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, LDL-C, triglyceride(TG) were $216.5{\pm}29.9$, $52.1{\pm}10.7$, $145.7{\pm}27.9$ and $141.2{\pm}59.6\;mg/d{\ell}$, respectively. Their blood lipid profiles were higher than the standard levels of metabolic syndrome, thus these levels of lipid profiles may play a role as risk factors on the elderly person. Plasma taurine level of the subjects was $278.5{\pm}48.1\;{\mu}mol/{\ell}$, and their plasma homocysteine level was $12.8{\pm}2.9\;{\mu}mol/{\ell}$. The concentration of plasma vitamin $B_{12}$ was significantly decreased by aging(p<0.05). The correlation of plasma homocysteine and plasma folate showed significantly negative(p<0.05). Thus, the decreased levels of plasma vitamin $B_{12}$ and folate by aging might affect on the plasma homocyteine concentration acting as a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases for elderly person. The correlation of plasma taurine and hemoglobin, and their platelet showed significantly positive(p<0.05). In conclusion, the diet on the elderly person is one of the important factors to prevent their health from chronic diseases. This study recommends that well balanced diets are needed for elderly person to keep their health and prevent from metabolic syndrome.

• Proceedings of the KSCN Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.56-56
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• 2000

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.263-275
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• 2008

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is one of significant risk factors of developing diabetes. The persons with IFG are, thus, an important target group for primary prevention of diabetes. It is well known that plasma homocysteine concentration may be increased in poor folate nutritional status. Elevated level of plasma homocysteine is considered as a marker of enhanced oxidative stress. In addition, the protective effect against oxidative stress may be diminished in poor antioxidative nutrient status as vitamin C. It is, therefore, important to maintain adequate nutritional status of folate and vitamin C in the patients with type 2 diabetes or IFG. This study was performed to determine the effects of supplementation of folic acid or vitamin C on plasma concentrations of homocysteine, oxidized LDL, and lipids and on the activity of plasma anti-oxidative enzyme in patients with IFG. A total of 97 patients with IFG were participated voluntarily with written consents. They were divided into one of the four experimental groups; Control (C), Folatesupplemented (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 were received 1,000 mg of vitamin C, and those in FA were given 1 mg of folate plus 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily for 4 weeks. No change in plasma concentrations of vitamin C, lipids, and oxidized LDL and the activity of GSH-Px were observed in vitamin C-supplemented group (A + FA) and folate-supplemented group (F + FA) compared to the placebo group (C + A). Only the folate-supplemented group (F + FA) had significantly increased average serum folate concentration and lowered plasma homocysteine concentration compared to the placebo group (C + A). Thus, it should be recommended the patients with IFG to increase folate intake through diets and, if it is not sufficient, to take folic acid supplements to prevent the development of complications induced by hyperhomocysteinemia as well as oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2012

Metabolic syndrome and homocysteine are associated with increased independent risk factors of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the difference between the degree of obesity, metabolic syndrome risk factors, plasma homocysteine and anthropometric obesity factors. Totally 398 participated in a medical check-up program were selected for this study. Subjects were categorized into three groups according to the number of metabolic syndrome components present as defined by the NCEP-ATP III criteria; Absent (0 criteria, n=124), Pre-MetS (1-2 criteria, n=220) and MetS (${\geq}3$ criteria, n=54). Body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to distinguish between normal weight, overweight and obesity. MetS presented higher homocysteine than Absent (p<.05) and obesity higher than normal weight (p<.01). When Absent+Pre-MetS was used to classify obese or not, obesty presented higher homocysteine than non-obese (p<.05). Further homocysteine levels positively correlated with weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio (WHR). Especially WHR is not only MetS (r=0.378, p<.001) but also Absent+Pre-MetS (r=0.305, p=0.029) significantly positively correlated with homocysteine. The results of our study indicate that homocysteine is related closely to obesity. Although obesity has not been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, obesity related with increased homocysteine.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.719-727
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• 1998

This study was carried out to assess the relationship between jobstrain, psychosocial distress and homocysteine. The study design was cross-sectional, and included 152 industrial workers in middle sized city. A self-adminstered questionnaire measured general characteristic, job strain and psychosocial distress. Blood was drawn into EDTA tube, and total plasma homocysteine was measured by HPLC. Homocysteine in the high job demand group was sagnificantly higher than that in the low job demand. Cholesterol in the high job control group was significantly higher than that in the low job control. Homocysteine was significantly higher in the high job strain group than that in the other group. Folate and vitamin B12 showed a significantly negative correlation with homocysteine. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether the psychosocial distress and other variable contributed to explaining the homocysteine. Stress correlates with the homocysteine.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.408-414
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• 1999

A selective and sensitive method for the derivatization of total homocysteine (Hcy) and the related compounds in plasma by gas chromatograph (GC)-electron capture detector (ECD) has been developed. To determine total homocysteine, cysteine (Cys), and methionine (Met) in human plasma using GC-ECD, analytes were reduced and converted into their N(O,S)-ethylearbonyl pentafluoropropyl (PFP) ester by derivatization with ethyl chloroformate and pentafluoropropyl alcohol (PFP-OH) in plasma. The best derivatizing agent N(O,S)-ethyl carbonyl PFP ester, was chosen by comparing the sensitivity of derivatized analysis in GC-ECD. The derivatized analytes in plasma were extracted by chloroform, and subsequently back-extracted with hexane and analyzed by GC-ECD. The calibration carves ($R^2$ > 0.990) were linear over the range $5-50{\mu}mol/L$ of Hcy and Met, $40-400{\mu}mol/L$ of Cys spiked in plasma. The detection limit observed by the established method was below $0.5{\mu}mol/L$. This method is highly sensitive and specific in the analysis of Hcy, Cys, and Met. Therefore, we suggest that this method is appropriate in the analysis of trace concentration of Hcy, Cys, and Met in biological fluids.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.811-818
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• 2003

We investigated the effects of dietary folate supplementation on plasma homocysteine, vitamin B$_{12}$ and hepatic levels of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) in diet-induced hyperhomocysteinemic rats. All animals were fed 0.3% homocysteine diet for 2 weeks, then they were placed either on a 0.3% homocystine or no homocystine with or without 8 mg/kg folate diet for 8 weeks. Homocystine diet induced hyperhomocysteinemia up to 3.5-fold at 10 weeks (28.0 $\pm$ 4.8 $\mu$mol/l vs. 7.9 $\pm$ 0.3 $\mu$mol/l). Dietary folate supplementation caused a significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels which had been increased by a homocystine-diet. Also, dietary folate supplementation made them return to control levels at 4 wk when the diet was free of homocystine. Plasma folate levels were markedly decreased with homocystine diet with no folate supplementation. Plasma vitamin B$_{12}$ did not differ between groups. Dietary homocystine increased hepatic levels of SAM in folate supplementation group at 10 weeks (p<0.05). Dietary folate supplementation increased hepatic levels of SAM/SAH ratios in homocystine group (p<0.05). In conclusion, dietary folate supplementation can effectively ameliorate the detrimental effects of hyperhomocysteinemia.mia.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.472-482
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• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the effect of vitamin C and E supplementation on blood pressure, plasma lipids, folate, and homocysteine levels in smokers and non-smokers of college male students in Gyeonggi Area. The nutrient intakes were determined by a 24hr-recall method. The subjects were divided into six groups: vitamin C sup-plementation group (n: smokers = 10, nonsmokers = 10), vitamin E supplementation group (n: smokers = 10, nonsmokers = 10), vitamin C and E supplementation group (n: smokers = 10, nonsmokers = 10), respectively. There were no significant differences between the smokers and nonsmokers in terms of anthropometric measurements. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in smokers than that of non-smokers. There was no significant difference in energy and other nutrients intakes between smokers and non-smokers. In plasma lipids levels, smokers had higher plasma triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol concentration than that of non-smokers (p < 0.05). HDL-cholesterol level of smokers had a tendency to be lower than that of non-smokers. In smokers, AI, TPH, LPH were significantly higher than that of non-smokers (p < 0.01). Plasma folate, homocysteine levels were not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers. The effect of antioxidant vitamins supplementation in smokers: In vitamin C supplementation group, HDL-cholesterol level was significantly in-creased (p < 0.01) and AI, TPH, LPH were significantly decreased (p < 0.01). In vitamin E supplementation group, HDL-cholesterol level was significantly increased (p < 0.05). In vitamin C and E supplementation group, LPH was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The effect of antioxidant vitamins supplementation in non-smokers: HDL-cholesterol level was significantly increased (p <0.05) and AI, TPH, LPH were significantly decreased (p <0.05) by vitamin C supplementation group. Plasma homocysteine level was decreased by vitamin E supplementation group in non-smokers (p < 0.01). The results of this study showed that smoking had a tendency to increase plasma lipids levels that factor into the risk of coronary heart disease. It is considered that antioxidant vitamin supplementation in smokers had a tendency to decrease cardiovascular disease than in nonsmokers.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.81-81
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• 2004

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2014

Objectives : Homocysteine has been associated with cognitive impairment and various psychiatric symptoms. This study was designed to examine the relationship exists between plasma homocysteine concentration and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD). Methods : 41 subjects with dementia of Alzheimer's type were included in this study. We carried out history taking, physical examination, and cognitive assessment for the diagnosis of dementia of Alzheimer's type based on DSM-IV. We scored the Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale(GDS), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR), and the Korean Neuropsychiatric Inventory(K-NPI). We also measured levels of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin $B_{12}$ in the plasma. Results : We found statistically significant positive correlations between homocysteine concentration with NPI total score, and with scores of several sub-domains such as delusion, agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, and elation/euphoria. No significant correlation existed between homocysteine levels and scores of MMSE, GDS, and CDR. Conclusions : This study shows that plasma homocysteine levels are associated with BPSD. Further research is necessary to identify pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying these relationships.