Association of thyroid dysfunction with vitamin B12, folate and plasma homocysteine levels in the elderly: a population-based study in Sicily
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Giuseppe Stella
Abstract
Background: Association of thyroid dysfunction with plasma homocysteine levels and vitamin B12 has previously been reported. We evaluated these associations in the elderly in San Teodoro, a mountainous village of Sicily.
Methods: Subjects (n=279) aged 60–85 years (119 males and 160 females) were examined using self-reported signs, clinical examination and laboratory tests.
Results: Hypothyroidism and/or goiter were two characteristics that were not associated with a significant change in homocysteine when compared with euthyroidism and the absence of goiter. Vitamin B12 was significantly higher in subjects in the first quartile of the thyroid-stimulating hormone distribution, compared with those in the fourth quartile (371±207 vs. 297±196 pmol/L, p=0.0121). Homocysteine was significantly higher in the first quartile of the free tri-iodothyronine distribution compared to the third quartile (18.0±5.7 vs. 16.0±6.2 μmol/L, p=0.0130) and was correlated with log tri-iodothyronine in euthyroid subjects (p=0.0254). In multivariate analysis, homocysteine was associated with vitamin B12 (p=0.0014), folate (p<0.0001), creatinine (p<0.0001) and age (p<0.0001), but not with either free tri-iodothyronine (p=0.7680), tetra-iodothyronine (p=0.5706) or thyroid-stimulating hormone (p=0.2294).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the influence of thyroid hormones on homocysteine is much weaker in elderly subjects than in selected patients with hypothyroidism.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:143–7.
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©2007 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- Associations between folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine and pathologies related to aging: the need to consider complex nutrient-nutrient and gene-nutrient interactions and the functional and socio-economic determinants in population-based studies
- Hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women: the role of folate supplementation
- Association of vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine with functional and pathological characteristics of the elderly in a mountainous village in Sicily
- Association of thyroid dysfunction with vitamin B12, folate and plasma homocysteine levels in the elderly: a population-based study in Sicily
- Desmond (Des) Kenny MSc MCB FICI FRCPath Eur Clin Chem, 1941–2006
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- Patient hydration: a major source of laboratory uncertainty
- Determination of the hepatitis C virus subtype: comparison of sequencing and reverse hybridization assays
- Quantification of relative changes in specific mRNAs from frozen whole blood – methodological considerations and clinical implications
- HER-2 protein concentrations in breast cancer cells increase before immunohistochemical and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis turn positive
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- Novel molecular defect in the platelet ADP receptor P2Y12 of a patient with haemorrhagic diathesis
- Retrospective study of monoclonal gammopathies detected in the clinical laboratory of a Spanish healthcare district: 14-year series
- Renal impairment compromises the use of total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid but not total vitamin B12 and holotranscobalamin in screening for vitamin B12 deficiency in the aged
- Diagnostic value of calculated testosterone indices in the assessment of polycystic ovary syndrome
- Amniotic fibronectin fragmentation and expression of its domains, sialyl and fucosyl glycotopes associated with pregnancy complicated by intrauterine infection
- Predicted influence of sample hematocrit on injected mass of internal standard in mass spectrometry assays utilizing simple protein precipitation for sample preparation
- Evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors and related clinical markers in healthy young Japanese adults
- Cardiac natriuretic peptides after myocardial infarction: relationship with infarct size, left ventricular function and remodelling assessed by 99mTc-sestamibi gated-single photon emission tomography
- Plasma homocysteine cutoff values for venous thrombosis
- Lipid transfer protein activities in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance
- Heat shock protein 70-1 gene expression in pediatric heart surgery using blood cardioplegia
- Biochemical reference intervals for sex hormones with a new AutoDelfia method in aged men
- The Italian External Quality Control Programme for cystic fibrosis molecular diagnosis: 4 years of activity
- Standardization of ischemia-modified albumin testing: adjustment for serum albumin
- Is simultaneous measurement of anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies clinically useful in patients with thyroid dysfunction?
- To the Editor: In reply to Nakano et al. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44(5):522–532
- To the Editor: Author reply; Nakano et al. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44(5):522–532
- Accreditation of medical laboratories in the European Union
- Prevalence-dependent decision limits for the early detection of type 2 diabetes mellitus in venous blood, venous plasma and capillary blood during glucose challenge
Articles in the same Issue
- Associations between folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine and pathologies related to aging: the need to consider complex nutrient-nutrient and gene-nutrient interactions and the functional and socio-economic determinants in population-based studies
- Hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women: the role of folate supplementation
- Association of vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine with functional and pathological characteristics of the elderly in a mountainous village in Sicily
- Association of thyroid dysfunction with vitamin B12, folate and plasma homocysteine levels in the elderly: a population-based study in Sicily
- Desmond (Des) Kenny MSc MCB FICI FRCPath Eur Clin Chem, 1941–2006
- Antibodies to citrullinated peptides: a significant step forward in the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis
- Patient hydration: a major source of laboratory uncertainty
- Determination of the hepatitis C virus subtype: comparison of sequencing and reverse hybridization assays
- Quantification of relative changes in specific mRNAs from frozen whole blood – methodological considerations and clinical implications
- HER-2 protein concentrations in breast cancer cells increase before immunohistochemical and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis turn positive
- Distinct alleles of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and surfactant proteins A (SP-A) in patients with chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Novel molecular defect in the platelet ADP receptor P2Y12 of a patient with haemorrhagic diathesis
- Retrospective study of monoclonal gammopathies detected in the clinical laboratory of a Spanish healthcare district: 14-year series
- Renal impairment compromises the use of total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid but not total vitamin B12 and holotranscobalamin in screening for vitamin B12 deficiency in the aged
- Diagnostic value of calculated testosterone indices in the assessment of polycystic ovary syndrome
- Amniotic fibronectin fragmentation and expression of its domains, sialyl and fucosyl glycotopes associated with pregnancy complicated by intrauterine infection
- Predicted influence of sample hematocrit on injected mass of internal standard in mass spectrometry assays utilizing simple protein precipitation for sample preparation
- Evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors and related clinical markers in healthy young Japanese adults
- Cardiac natriuretic peptides after myocardial infarction: relationship with infarct size, left ventricular function and remodelling assessed by 99mTc-sestamibi gated-single photon emission tomography
- Plasma homocysteine cutoff values for venous thrombosis
- Lipid transfer protein activities in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance
- Heat shock protein 70-1 gene expression in pediatric heart surgery using blood cardioplegia
- Biochemical reference intervals for sex hormones with a new AutoDelfia method in aged men
- The Italian External Quality Control Programme for cystic fibrosis molecular diagnosis: 4 years of activity
- Standardization of ischemia-modified albumin testing: adjustment for serum albumin
- Is simultaneous measurement of anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies clinically useful in patients with thyroid dysfunction?
- To the Editor: In reply to Nakano et al. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44(5):522–532
- To the Editor: Author reply; Nakano et al. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44(5):522–532
- Accreditation of medical laboratories in the European Union
- Prevalence-dependent decision limits for the early detection of type 2 diabetes mellitus in venous blood, venous plasma and capillary blood during glucose challenge
