IngentaConnect Relationship between total homocysteine and folate levels in preg...

Authors: Guerra-Shinohara, Elvira M.¹; Paiva, Adriana A.²; Rondó, Patrıacute;cia H.C.²; Yamasaki, Kátia¹; Terzi, Carolina A.³; D'Almeida, Vânia³

Source: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Volume 109, Number 7, July 2002 , pp. 784-791(8)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

Objective

To determine total homocysteine and folate levels in pregnant women according to vitamin B₁₂ (B₁₂) levels, and to analyse the impact of maternal B₁₂ levels on the nutritional status of their newborn babies. Design

Cross sectional observational study. Setting

Two public hospitals in Jundiai City, São Paulo, Brazil. Sample

Sixty-nine pregnant women and their respective newborn babies at the time of delivery. Methods

Maternal blood was collected up to 8 hours before delivery. Umbilical cord blood was collected after the expulsion of the placenta. Total homocysteine was measured by high perfomance liquid chromatography, folate by ion capture methodology and B₁₂ by enzyme immunoassay. Main outcome measures

Relationship between low maternal vitamin B12 levels and total homocysteine and folate levels in pregnant women and new born babies. Results

There was a significant correlation between maternal and neonatal B₁₂ levels, but not between maternal B₁₂ and neonatal red blood cell (RBC) folate. There was a weak correlation between maternal B₁₂ levels and neonatal serum folate. However, there were significant correlations between maternal and neonatal total homocysteine levels and between neonatal B₁₂ and neonatal total homocysteine levels. Mean ( ±SD ) umbilical cord blood B₁₂, RBC folate, serum folate and total homocysteine levels were 1.7 ± 0.8, 1.8 ± 0.8, 2.2 ± 0.8 and 0.9 ± 0.3 times higher than maternal B₁₂, RBC folate, serum folate and total homocysteine values, respectively. Conclusions

These data suggest that pregnant women with low B₁₂ levels are unable to provide the necessary amount of B₁₂ to their fetuses. The clinical consequences could be the presence of neurological abnormalities as well as the lack of utilisation of homocysteine for methionine transformation.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01307.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 2: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 3: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

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Relationship between total homocysteine and folate levels in pregnant women and their newborn babies according to maternal serum levels of vitamin B12

Relationship between total homocysteine and folate levels in pregnant women and their newborn babies according to maternal serum levels of vitamin B₁₂