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Correlates of plasma homocysteine, cysteine and cysteinyl-glycine in respondents in the British National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People Aged 4–18 Years, and a comparison with the Survey of People Aged 65 Years and Over

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

C. J. Bates ,
M. A. Mansoor ,
Jan Gregory ,
Kristina Pentieva  and
Ann Prentice
C. J. Bates*
Affiliation:
MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Fulbourn Road, Cambridge CB1 9NL, UK
M. A. Mansoor
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Chemistry, Central Hospital in Rogaland, Stavanger, Norway
Jan Gregory
Affiliation:
Office for National Statistics, Social Survey Division, 1 Drummond Gate, London SW1V 2QQ, UK
Kristina Pentieva
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Diet and Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland BT52 1SA, UK
Ann Prentice
Affiliation:
MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Fulbourn Road, Cambridge CB1 9NL, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Chris Bates, fax +44 1223 437515, email Chris.Bates@mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), cysteine and cysteinyl-glycine were measured in a representative sample of 922 young people aged 4–18 years, participating in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey in mainland Britain in 1997. Both tHcy and cysteine increased markedly with age; cysteinyl-glycine less so. Neither tHcy nor cysteine differed between genders; cysteinyl-glycine was higher in males. tHcy concentrations were lowest in the winter; cysteine and cysteinyl-glycine varied only slightly with season. In respondents aged >15 years, tHcy was higher in smokers, but in respondents aged 7–11 years, tHcy was higher in those whose mothers smoked. tHcy was inversely correlated with serum folate, serum vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 status, but neither cysteine nor cysteinyl-glycine shared these relationships. The relationships between tHcy and B-vitamin status indices ran parallel with those of the 65 years and over survey, but at much lower tHcy concentrations for any given B-vitamin concentration. Age-adjusted tHcy was not correlated with anthropometric indices, blood pressure, haematology, plasma creatinine, urea or cholesterol, but was directly correlated with fasting triacylglycerol. We conclude that disease-risk indices, like tHcy and perhaps cysteine, if established during early life, may be modulated by diet and lifestyle, thereby providing an opportunity for public health intervention.

Keywords

HomocysteineNational Diet and Nutrition SurveyVitaminsChildren
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 87 , Issue 1 , January 2002 , pp. 71 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2002

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