Background: Homocysteinemia has been associated with oncogenic risk. This study was designed to investigate the homocysteine (Hcy) genotype/phenotype interactions together with the inflammatory and nutritional status of cancer patients. Patients and Methods: The Hcy levels were analyzed in 47 cancer patients in association with methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms, folate and inflammatory markers. Results: The MTHFR C677T and A1298C genotype distributions did not differ from those predicted by the Hardy-Weinberg distribution. Conversely, the Hcy levels were higher in the cancer patients (p=0.04), who were also characterized by low-grade inflammation. The Hcy levels correlated with the interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p=0.001), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (p=0.042) and folate (p<0.0001) levels of the patients. Multivariate analysis showed that TNF-alpha (p=0.014) and folate (p=0.019) were independent predictors of elevated Hcy levels in the cancer patients. Conclusion: The MTHFR polymorphisms do not significantly contribute to tHcy (total Hcy) levels in cancer patients, and cancer-related inflammation may be associated with elevated tHcy levels, possibly involving a TNF-alpha mediated pathway.
Determinants of Homocysteine Levels in Colorectal and Breast Cancer Patients
Ferroni P;Guadagni F
2009-01-01
Abstract
Background: Homocysteinemia has been associated with oncogenic risk. This study was designed to investigate the homocysteine (Hcy) genotype/phenotype interactions together with the inflammatory and nutritional status of cancer patients. Patients and Methods: The Hcy levels were analyzed in 47 cancer patients in association with methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms, folate and inflammatory markers. Results: The MTHFR C677T and A1298C genotype distributions did not differ from those predicted by the Hardy-Weinberg distribution. Conversely, the Hcy levels were higher in the cancer patients (p=0.04), who were also characterized by low-grade inflammation. The Hcy levels correlated with the interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p=0.001), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (p=0.042) and folate (p<0.0001) levels of the patients. Multivariate analysis showed that TNF-alpha (p=0.014) and folate (p=0.019) were independent predictors of elevated Hcy levels in the cancer patients. Conclusion: The MTHFR polymorphisms do not significantly contribute to tHcy (total Hcy) levels in cancer patients, and cancer-related inflammation may be associated with elevated tHcy levels, possibly involving a TNF-alpha mediated pathway.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
