J Korean Med Sci.  2014 May;29(5):743-747. 10.3346/jkms.2014.29.5.743.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase 677 Genotype-Specific Reference Values for Plasma Homocysteine and Serum Folate Concentrations in Korean Population Aged 45 to 74 Years: The Namwon Study

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwangju, Korea. mhshinx@paran.com
  • 2Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Institute of Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
  • 3Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
  • 4Department of Neurology, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
  • 5Department of Preventive Medicine, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
  • 6Department of Preventive Medicine, Seonam University College of Medicine, Namwon, Korea.
  • 7Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
  • 8Department of Food & Nutrition, Chosun University College of Natural Sciences, Gwangju, Korea.
  • 9Center for Creative Biomedical Scientists, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.

Abstract

The reference interval for plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and serum folate concentrations were estimated. Total of 3,154 reference individuals (1,029 men and 2,125 women) were selected based on stringent exclusion criteria. For plasma tHcy concentration (microM/L), reference values (median [5-95 percentile]) were 7.72 (5.03 to 13.80) and 6.09 (3.95-10.19) in men and women, respectively. For serum folate concentration (nM/L), reference values were 23.71 (11.73-38.44) and 28.95 (15.23-40.44) in men and women, respectively. The tHcy levels of both genders in the present study were lower than those in previous reports from other countries and Korea.

Keyword

Homocysteine; Folic Acid; Reference Intervals; Aged Population

MeSH Terms

Age Factors
Aged
Aging
Cohort Studies
Female
Folic Acid/*blood
Genotype
Homocysteine/*blood
Humans
Male
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)/*genetics
Middle Aged
Reference Values
Republic of Korea
Sex Factors
Folic Acid
Homocysteine
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Percentile curves of plasma homocysteine and serum folate concentration by genders (n= 3,154).


Cited by  1 articles

Association Between Plasma Homocysteine Level and Mortality: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Chang Kyun Choi, Sun-Seog Kweon, Young-Hoon Lee, Hae-Sung Nam, Seong-Woo Choi, Hye-Yeon Kim, Min-Ho Shin
Korean Circ J. 2023;53(10):710-719.    doi: 10.4070/kcj.2023.0089.


Reference

1. Refsum H, Smith AD, Ueland PM, Nexo E, Clarke R, McPartlin J, Johnston C, Engbaek F, Schneede J, McPartlin C, et al. Facts and recommendations about total homocysteine determinations: an expert opinion. Clin Chem. 2004; 50:3–32.
2. Park LK, Friso S, Choi SW. Nutritional influences on epigenetics and age-related disease. Proc Nutr Soc. 2012; 71:75–83.
3. Kang JY, Park IK, Lee JY, Sung SH, Chang YK, Park YK, Choi TI. Use of serum homocysteine to predict cardiovascular disease in Korean men with or without metabolic syndrome. J Korean Med Sci. 2012; 27:500–505.
4. Savage DG, Lindenbaum J, Stabler SP, Allen RH. Sensitivity of serum methylmalonic acid and total homocysteine determinations for diagnosing cobalamin and folate deficiencies. Am J Med. 1994; 96:239–246.
5. Ganji V, Kafai MR. Population reference values for plasma total homocysteine concentrations in US adults after the fortification of cereals with folic acid. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006; 84:989–994.
6. Pfeiffer CM, Osterloh JD, Kennedy-Stephenson J, Picciano MF, Yetley EA, Rader JI, Johnson CL. Trends in circulating concentrations of total homocysteine among US adolescents and adults: findings from the 1991-1994 and 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Clin Chem. 2008; 54:801–813.
7. Kim HJ, Kim MK, Kim JU, Ha HY, Choi BY. Major Determinants of serum homocysteine concentrations in a Korean population. J Korean Med Sci. 2010; 25:509–516.
8. Moon HW, Whang DH, Ko YJ, Joo SY, Yun YM, Hur M, Kim JQ. Reference interval and determinants of the serum homocysteine level in a Korean population. J Clin Lab Anal. 2011; 25:317–323.
9. Kweon SS, Shin MH, Jeong SK, Nam HS, Lee YH, Park KS, Ryu SY, Choi SW, Kim BH, Rhee JA, et al. Cohort profile: the Namwon Study and the Dong-gu Study. Int J Epidemiol. 2013; doi: 10.1093/ije/dys244.
10. Shin MH, Choi JS, Rhee JA, Lee YH, Nam HS, Jeong SK, Park KS, Kim HY, Ryu SY, Choi SW, et al. Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism and bone mineral density: the Dong-gu Study and the Namwon Study. J Korean Med Sci. 2013; 28:965–968.
11. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Defining, establishing, and verifying reference intervals in the clinical laboratory: approved guideline. CLSI C28-A3. 3rd ed. Wayne: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute;2008.
12. Hao L, Ma J, Zhu J, Stampfer MJ, Tian Y, Willett WC, Li Z. High prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in Chinese adults is associated with low folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6 status. J Nutr. 2007; 137:407–413.
13. Moriyama Y, Okamura T, Kajinami K, Iso H, Inazu A, Kawashiri M, Mizuno M, Takeda Y, Sakamoto Y, Kimura H, et al. Effects of serum B vitamins on elevated plasma homocysteine levels associated with the mutation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene in Japanese. Atherosclerosis. 2002; 164:321–328.
14. Konstantinova SV, Vollset SE, Berstad P, Ueland PM, Drevon CA, Refsum H, Tell GS. Dietary predictors of plasma total homocysteine in the Hordaland Homocysteine Study. Br J Nutr. 2007; 98:201–210.
15. Garcia AA, Day AG, Zanibbi K, Zunzunegui MV. Long-term effects of folic acid fortification and B-vitamin supplementation on total folate, homocysteine, methylmalonic acid and cobalamin in older adults. Can J Public Health. 2008; 99:428–433.
16. Hong SA, Kim K, Kim MK. Educational attainment and differences in fruit and vegetable consumption among middle-aged adults in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV. Nutr Res Pract. 2012; 6:263–269.
17. Tamers SL, Agurs-Collins T, Dodd KW, Nebeling L. US and France adult fruit and vegetable consumption patterns: an international comparison. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009; 63:11–17.
18. Kim MK, Ordovas JM, Selhub J, Campos H. B vitamins and plasma homocysteine concentrations in an urban and rural area of Costa Rica. J Am Coll Nutr. 2003; 22:224–231.
19. Jacques PF, Bostom AG, Williams RR, Ellison RC, Eckfeldt JH, Rosenberg IH, Selhub J, Rozen R. Relation between folate status, a common mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, and plasma homocysteine concentrations. Circulation. 1996; 93:7–9.
20. Yang Q, Bailey L, Clarke R, Flanders WD, Liu T, Yesupriya A, Khoury MJ, Friedman JM. Prospective study of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) variant C677T and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among 6000 US adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 95:1245–1253.
Full Text Links
  • JKMS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr