Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent cardiovascular risk factor that depends on folate and vitamin B12 nutrition.
Aim: To measure homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 serum levels in healthy children with and without a family history of cardiovascular disease.
Subjects and methods: Forty children aged 6 to 15 years with a family history of cardiovascular disease, and 40 age and sex matched children without such history were studied. Serum homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 were measured in a fasting blood sample. Homocysteine was measured by a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA), vitamin B12 by enzymatic microparticle assay, covered with intrinsic factor and folic acid by ionic capture, using commercial kits.
Results: Children with family history of cardiovascular disease had higher homocysteine levels than their counterparts without family history (7.9 +/- 3 and 5.8 +/- 2 mumol/l respectively, p < 0.03), but similar folic acid (5.2 +/- 1.8 and 5.5 +/- 1.4 pg/ml respectively) and vitamin B12 levels (431 +/- 213 and 445 +/- 209 ng/ml respectively). There was a negative and significant correlation between homocysteine and folic acid and vitamin B12 levels.
Conclusions: Children with a family history of cardiovascular disease have higher levels of serum homocysteine than those without such history, despite having similar levels of folic acid and vitamin B12.