The associative study between serum homocysteine and cerebral infarction as well as carotid artery atherosclerosis

Objective To investigate the relationship between the serum homocysteine(Hcy)level and cere- bral infarction as well as carotid artery atherosclerosis(AS).Methods Blood sample were collected from 162 pa- tients with cerebral infarction and 40 healthy individual controls.The concentrations of Hcy were tested by means of fluorescence polarization immunoassay.In the meantime,blood pressure,fast blood sugar(FBS),plasma lipid and fibrinogen(FIB)of all patients were determined.All carotid arteries of 94 patients were examined with color Doppler ultrasound.The concentration of Hcys were compared in cerebral infarction group and healthy control group,carotid artery atherosclerosis group and normal carotid artery group.Results There were 98 cases and 5 cases whose Hcy levels increased respectively,which accounted for 60.49% and 12.50% with serum concentration being(17.86±7.32)μmol/L和(12.05±3.33)μmol/L respectively,the difference was significant statistically(P0.001).The levels of Hcy in the carotid artery atherosclerosis group increased significantly as compared with the normal carotid group in the cerebral infarction patients(P0.05).The level of serum Hcy of cerebral infarction patients was not correlated with plasma lipid level,positively correlated with IMT(r=0.463,P0.001).Conclu- sion Hyperhomocysteine mia is an independent risk factor for cerebral infarction and associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis.It provides a new theoretical evidence for the therapy and the prevention of ischemic stroke.