BACKGROUND: Vitamin status, methylenentetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype, age, sex, and lifestyle factors are all predictors of total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in adults. Limited data are available about the influence of these factors on tHcy in children. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to describe tHcy and its predictors in Dutch children. DESIGN: A sample of 234 white children aged 0-19 y was analyzed cross-sectionally. RESULTS: The geometric mean tHcy concentrations were 5.1 (95% CI: 4.6, 5.6), 4.6 (4.2, 5.1), 6.2 (5.6, 6.9), 7.3 (6.7, 8.0), and 8.7 (7.9, 9.6) micromol/L in the 0-1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-14, and 15-19 y groups, respectively. Plasma folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations decreased markedly with age. The inverse association between tHcy and plasma folate seen at all ages was stronger than that between tHcy and plasma vitamin B-12. A negative association of plasma folate with tHcy was confined to folate concentrations <20 nmol/L. Homozygosity for the MTHFR 677C-->T polymorphism was identified in 8.2% of the children. The homocysteine concentration did not differ significantly between the MTHFR genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided age-specific data regarding tHcy concentrations and their predictors in the whole range of childhood. The tHcy concentration increased as a function of age in both sexes. Plasma folate was a concentration-dependent predictor of tHcy. The MTHFR 677C-->T polymorphism played a minor role in determining tHcy concentrations in children.
BACKGROUND: Vitamin status, methylenentetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype, age, sex, and lifestyle factors are all predictors of total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in adults. Limited data are available about the influence of these factors on tHcy in children. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to describe tHcy and its predictors in Dutch children. DESIGN: A sample of 234 white children aged 0-19 y was analyzed cross-sectionally. RESULTS: The geometric mean tHcy concentrations were 5.1 (95% CI: 4.6, 5.6), 4.6 (4.2, 5.1), 6.2 (5.6, 6.9), 7.3 (6.7, 8.0), and 8.7 (7.9, 9.6) micromol/L in the 0-1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-14, and 15-19 y groups, respectively. Plasma folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations decreased markedly with age. The inverse association between tHcy and plasma folate seen at all ages was stronger than that between tHcy and plasma vitamin B-12. A negative association of plasma folate with tHcy was confined to folate concentrations <20 nmol/L. Homozygosity for the MTHFR 677C-->T polymorphism was identified in 8.2% of the children. The homocysteine concentration did not differ significantly between the MTHFR genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided age-specific data regarding tHcy concentrations and their predictors in the whole range of childhood. The tHcy concentration increased as a function of age in both sexes. Plasma folate was a concentration-dependent predictor of tHcy. The MTHFR 677C-->T polymorphism played a minor role in determining tHcy concentrations in children.
Authors: Daniel A Enquobahrie; Henry A Feldman; Deanna H Hoelscher; Lyn M Steffen; Larry S Webber; Michelle M Zive; Eric B Rimm; Meir J Stampfer; Stavroula K Osganian Journal: Public Health Nutr Date: 2012-10 Impact factor: 4.022
Authors: Sara Gómez-Bueno; Maria A Vázquez-López; Iciar García-Escobar; Jose Eugenio Cabrera-Sevilla; María Ortiz Pérez; Antonio Bonillo-Perales; Francisco Lendinez-Molinos Journal: Eur J Pediatr Date: 2021-01-31 Impact factor: 3.183
Authors: Marije Hogeveen; Ingrid van Beynum; Arno van Rooij; Leo Kluijtmans; Martin den Heijer; Henk Blom Journal: Eur J Nutr Date: 2007-12-18 Impact factor: 5.614
Authors: Lynn B Bailey; Patrick J Stover; Helene McNulty; Michael F Fenech; Jesse F Gregory; James L Mills; Christine M Pfeiffer; Zia Fazili; Mindy Zhang; Per M Ueland; Anne M Molloy; Marie A Caudill; Barry Shane; Robert J Berry; Regan L Bailey; Dorothy B Hausman; Ramkripa Raghavan; Daniel J Raiten Journal: J Nutr Date: 2015-06-03 Impact factor: 4.798
Authors: Beate S Solvik; Tor A Strand; Ingrid Kvestad; Maria W Markhus; Per M Ueland; Adrian McCann; Jannike Øyen Journal: J Nutr Date: 2020-07-01 Impact factor: 4.798