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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #78615
Title: HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA IN CHRONIC ALCOHOLISM: CORRELATION WITH FOLATE, VITAMIN B-12, AND VITAMIN B-6 STATUS

Author
item CRAVO, MARILIA - INST PORT ONCOL LISBON
item GLORIA, LUISA - INST PORT ONCOL LISBON
item SELHUB, JACOB - HNRCA-TUFTS
item NADEAU, MARIE - HNRCA-TUFTS
item CAMILO, ERMELINDA - HOSP SANTA MONICA LISBON
item RESENDE, MANUELA - HOSP SANTA MONICA LISBON
item CARDOSO, J - INST PORT ONCOL LISBON
item LEITAO, C - INST PORT ONCOL LISBON
item MIRA, F - INST PORT ONCOL LISBON

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/8/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Homocysteine is an amino acid which plays an important function in the body but becomes harmful when its level in the blood becomes excessive. A high homocysteine in the blood is also indication that the individual is not taking some other B vitamins including folic acid, vitamin B12 or vitamin B6. It is known that heavy alcohol drinkers often manifest vitamin deficiencies. In this study we have shown that heavy drinkers have high levels of homocysteine in their blood and that this high homocysteine is due in part to deficiency in B6, folate and B12.

Technical Abstract: Serum homocysteine concentrations have been shown to be a sensitive functional indicator of intracellular folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 status. Chronic alcoholism is known to interfere with one-carbon metabolism, for which the above vitamins serve as coenzymes. In the present study, these vitamins were assessed in 32 chronic alcoholic and 31 healthy volunteers by measuring blood vitamin concentrations as well as serum homocysteine concentrations. In chronic alcoholics, serum pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and red blood cell folate concentrations were significantly lower than in the control subjects (P<0.001 and P=0.008, respectively). Mean serum homocysteine was twice as high in chronic alcoholics than in nondrinkers (P<0.001). Beer consumers had significantly lower concentrations of homocysteine compared with drinkers of wine or spirits (P=0.05). These results suggest that by interfering with folate or vitamin B-6 metabolism, chronic alcohol intake may impair the disposal of homocysteine through the transmethylation or transulfuration pathways.