RESUMO
Mild hyperhomocysteinemia has been suggested as a new, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This fact has produced a new, increased interest in the study of homocysteine metabolism and its relation to pathogenesis. This emergent area of biomedical research is reviewed here, stressing the biochemical and metabolic basis of the pathogenicity of increased levels of homocysteine.
Assuntos
Homocisteína/metabolismo , Hiper-Homocisteinemia/complicações , Doenças Cardiovasculares/etiologia , Fenômenos Fisiológicos Celulares , Feminino , Humanos , Hiper-Homocisteinemia/metabolismo , Hiper-Homocisteinemia/patologia , Metionina/metabolismo , Metilação , Malformações do Sistema Nervoso/etiologia , Gravidez , Complicações na Gravidez/etiologia , Aminoacil-RNA de Transferência/metabolismo , S-Adenosilmetionina/metabolismoAssuntos
Hiper-Homocisteinemia/genética , 5-Metiltetra-Hidrofolato-Homocisteína S-Metiltransferase/genética , Cistationina beta-Sintase/genética , Humanos , Hiper-Homocisteinemia/enzimologia , Metilenotetra-Hidrofolato Redutase (NADPH2) , Mutação , Oxirredutases atuantes sobre Doadores de Grupo CH-NH/genéticaRESUMO
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and disability in the western world. In the last years, the accumulation of evidence coming from both retrospective and prospective clinical studies has led to an increased interest in the potential role of mild hyperhomocysteinemia as a major, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The present paper reviews the position of homocysteine in metabolism to understand the pathogenesis of hyperhomocysteinemia, as well as the clinical data pointing to its proposed role as an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor.
Assuntos
Doenças Cardiovasculares/etiologia , Homocisteína/efeitos adversos , Hiper-Homocisteinemia/complicações , Doenças Cardiovasculares/mortalidade , Homocisteína/metabolismo , Humanos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Total homocysteine is the sum of all homocysteine species present in plasma. This parameter is valuable for the diagnosis and follow up of cobalamine or folate deficiencies, and it has been accepted as an independent risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease. These reasons justify the introduction of total homocysteine assays in the routine clinical laboratory. In the present review, we discuss the procedures for sample collection, processing and storage, and review the methodologies for measuring total homocysteine. We compare their feasibility as routine methods in the clinical laboratory.
Assuntos
Química Clínica/métodos , Homocisteína/sangue , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Eletroforese Capilar , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Espectrometria de MassasRESUMO
Oxidative stress is related to several pathologies and it is also associated with surgical operations. Reactive oxygen species generated during oxidative stress can induce severe damage to biomolecules. To prevent this damage, cells are endowed with both enzymatic and nonenzymatic defenses. One of the most important antioxidant molecules is glutathione. Since glutamine is a precursor of glutathione, its supplementation in the clinical diet can be used to maintain high levels of glutathione and to avoid oxidative stress damage. Here, recent literature concerning this recurrent topic is critically reviewed.
