Serum homocysteine concentrations in healthy children
Rimantė Cerkauskienė, Odilija Rudzevičienė1 Valerija Jablonskienė2, Aina Beržinytė1
Background. Elevated serum homocysteine (HC) concentration in children or young adults is associated with premature cardiovascular disease and is higher in children who had a father, grandfather or uncle with early cardio- vascut ar death. There is a little intormation for age- and sex-specific reference intervals for HC in children. There were race-ethnic differences established only in some countries.
Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum homocysteine concentration in healthy children and to explore correlations between HC concentration, age and sex.
Patients and methods. HC concentration was measured in 70 healthy Lith u a nian chil dren (32 girls and 38 boys) aged 2 month-17 years (mean 6,4 ± 2,8 years). Total HC concentration was measured using imuno- phermental spectrophotometrical method.
Results. Total HC concentration in blood serum in examined children was 8.16 ± 2.58 ^mol/l (4.86-16.40 ^mol/l). HC concentration in younger children (0.2-3 yrs) was different from older children (p < 0.05). We found correlation between children’s age and HC concentration in blood serum (n = 70, r = 0.4, p < 0.0002). We observed no significant difference in HC values between girls (8.18 ± 2.34 (4.37-14.20) ^mol/) and boys (8.14 ± 2.79 (4.17-16.40) ^mol/l).
Conclusion. Reference data for serum total homocysteine concentration in healthy Lithuanian children are first time described. Homocysteine levels were increasing with age. About one tenth of examined children had total homocysteine con cen tration above 95 %c. More prospective studies are necessary in order to evaluate the relationship of homocysteine and other cardiovascular disease risk factors in children of our region.
Keywords: homocysteine, age, sex, healthy children.