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Plasma Homocyst(e)ine [H(e)] and Arterial Occlusive Diseases: Gene-Nutrient Interactions

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Multiple Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Disease

Part of the book series: Medical Science Symposia Series ((MSSS,volume 12))

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Abstract

Interest in the association between plasma homocyst(e)ine1 and vascular diseases has increased substantially. Table 1 shows the number of reports in the last 30 years listed in Medline under “homocysteine/blood.” The data indicate that the annual rate of publications was initially 1.4 and it raised to 62 in the last five years, i.e. about a 44-fold increase within the span covered by the literature search. Such an accelerated growth probably reflects the potential clinical importance of homocyst(e)inemia in vascular occlusive diseases and the usual decrease of homocyst(e)ine levels brought about by inexpensive vitamin therapy. The availability of methods for accurately measuring plasma homocyst(e)ine and the more recent emphasis on genes regulating the expression of enzymes involved in the methionine/homocysteine metabolism, may also have contributed to such growth in publications [see reviews in 1–6]. This presentation will be necessarily selective in view of the large number of reports dealing with the subject. Thus, the association of elevated homocyst(e)ine to idiopathic venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism [7–9] will not be considered. Moreover, in order to comply with time restraints, potentially involved mechanisms at the cellular level and results obtained postmethionine loading test, a procedure that may unmask abnormalities in the metabolism of methionine/homocysteine [10] will not be discussed, except as noted. Previous publications by the author will be quoted freely here.

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Authors
  1. M. Rene Malinow
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Room F-105, New York, NY, USA

    Antonio M. Gotto Jr.

  2. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA

    C. Lenfant

  3. Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Rodolfo Paoletti  & A. L. Catapano  & 

  4. Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation, Houston, TX, USA

    A. S. Jackson

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Malinow, M.R. (1998). Plasma Homocyst(e)ine [H(e)] and Arterial Occlusive Diseases: Gene-Nutrient Interactions. In: Gotto, A.M., Lenfant, C., Paoletti, R., Catapano, A.L., Jackson, A.S. (eds) Multiple Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Disease. Medical Science Symposia Series, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5022-4_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5022-4_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6108-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5022-4

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