Homocysteine level in patients with established transmural myocardial infarction

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the levels of serum total homocysteine in patients suffering from established transmural myocardial infarction and normal healthy subjects of local population. A case control study. The present study was carried out at Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Ilyas [HMI] Institute of Pharmacology and Herbal Sciences in collaboration with National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, from June 2001 to December 2001. Eighty-four persons were included in a case control study. Sixty-three patients were cases suffering from transmural myocardial infarction of anterior wall and 21 normal healthy subjects were controls having no history of IHD ever before. Fasting venous serum was analyzed for total homocysteine using fluorescence polarization immunoassay [FPIA] while lipid parameters and plasma glucose were estimated by enzymatic colorimetric method. Mean serum total homocysteine and low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] levels [19.43 +/- 2.46 umol/L, 124.97 +/- 45.31mg/dl respectively] were found to be significantly higher in cases as compared to controls. The mean serum High density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] [27.57 +/- 15.31mg/dl] was found to be significantly lower as compared to control. Mean serum glucose, total cholesterol and serum triacylglycerol [84.32 +/- 2.46 mg/dl, 174.35 +/- 27.08mg/dl and 148.49 +/- 43.12mg/dl respectively] were higher in patients as compared to control but difference was insignificant statistically. Significantly high levels of total homocysteine along with high levels of LDL-C and low levels of HDL-C appear to be the factors responsible for the increase risk of coronary artery disease in our local population