TITLE:
Homocysteine and oxidative stress in acute stroke
AUTHORS:
Laura Nanetti, Arianna Vignini, Francesca Raffaelli, Alessia Giulietti, Marco Bartolini, Cecilia Perozzi, Mauro Silvestrini, Leandro Provinciali, Laura Mazzanti
KEYWORDS:
Homocysteine; Acute Stroke; Oxidative Stress; Platelets
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.4 No.11A,
November
15,
2013
ABSTRACT: Homocysteine is a sulfhydryl-containing amino acid
derived from the essential amino acid methionine. Total Hcy plasma level varies
in the range of 5-15 μmol/L
in the normal population. Our aim in this study was to investigate the possible
correlations among homocysteine plasma levels, oxidative stress parameters and
clinical evolution of stroke. Fifty patients with large-vessel ischemic
stroke were studied. Biochemical determinations were performed at entry (T0)
and then repeated one month after stroke (T1). Homocysteine levels were
significantly increased at T0 with respect to T1 and showed a significant positive correlation with the expression of oxidative stress markers and a negative
correlation with indicators of protective anti stress activity. A significant
increase of antioxidant activity occurred from T0 to T1 and changes were
associated with the severity of clinical conditions. In particular, the extent
of homocysteine and of oxidative stress markers plasmatic levels re- duction
and of the contemporary increase in anti stress biochemical activities were
associated with a reduction of NIHSS scores. These findings, besides confirming
an involvement of oxidative stress in in- fluencing the evolution of stroke,
suggest a role for homocysteine as a potentially modifiable biochemical
alteration able to modulate some mechanisms in- volved in the production of
ischemic damage.