<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>In this study, we investigated the concentration of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with the control group and the connection between homocysteine and parameters of inflammation and disease activity. Sixty RA patients and 20 healthy controls were included in the study, and clinical examination and investigation were performed during which disease activity was assessed. Peripheral blood samples were used for all of the assays. Levels of Hcy were 33% higher in the RA patients than in the control subjects (mean +/− SD 11.79±3.72 μmol/L versus 8.90±1.38 μmol/L; p&lt; 0.01). A significant correlation was found between parameters of inflammation (C-reactive protein) and homocysteine in patients (r=0.322, p=0.012). Patients with high disease activity had a significantly greater increase in homocysteine (p&lt;0.05). An increase in plasma homocysteine in RA patients is related to the parameters of inflammation and disease activity. Elevated Hcy levels occur commonly in patients with RA and may explain some of the increased cardiovascular mortality seen in RA patients.</p></abstract>

In this study, we investigated the concentration of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with the control group and the connection between homocysteine and parameters of inflammation and disease activity. Sixty RA patients and 20 healthy controls were included in the study, and clinical examination and investigation were performed during which disease activity was assessed. Peripheral blood samples were used for all of the assays. Levels of Hcy were 33% higher in the RA patients than in the control subjects (mean +/− SD 11.79±3.72 μmol/L versus 8.90±1.38 μmol/L; p< 0.01). A significant correlation was found between parameters of inflammation (C-reactive protein) and homocysteine in patients (r=0.322, p=0.012). Patients with high disease activity had a significantly greater increase in homocysteine (p<0.05). An increase in plasma homocysteine in RA patients is related to the parameters of inflammation and disease activity. Elevated Hcy levels occur commonly in patients with RA and may explain some of the increased cardiovascular mortality seen in RA patients.

Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac and Institute for Public Health, Kragujevac, Serbia

Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac and Institute for Public Health, Kragujevac, Serbia

Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism, Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia

Department of Rheumathology, Clinical Center “Kragujevac”, Serbia

Clinic of Hematology, Clinical Center “Kragujevac”, Serbia

Institute of Medical Physiology “Richard Burian”, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia

Experimental and Applied Biomedical Research (EABR)

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Public License.

KONCENTRACIJE HOMOCISTEINA U PLAZMI KOD PACIJENATA SA REUMATOIDNIM ARTRITISOM

In this study, we investigated the concentration of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with the control group and the...

Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Published Online: Oct 14, 2015

Page range: 207 - 211

Received: Mar 25, 2015

Accepted: Apr 01, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjecr-2015-0027

Keywords
homocysteine, rheumatoid arthritis, disease activity

© 2015 Dragan Vasiljevic et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Public License.

Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Published Online: Oct 14, 2015

Page range: 207 - 211

Received: Mar 25, 2015

Accepted: Apr 01, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjecr-2015-0027

Keywordshomocysteine, rheumatoid arthritis, disease activity

© 2015 Dragan Vasiljevic et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Public License.

Keywords
homocysteine, rheumatoid arthritis, disease activity