Cobalamin Status and Its Biochemical Markers Methylmalonic Acid and Homocysteine in Different Age Groups from 4 Days to 19 Years

Author:

Monsen Anne-Lise Bjørke1,Refsum Helga23,Markestad Trond1,Ueland Per Magne4

Affiliation:

1. Department of Pediatrics and

2. Department of Pharmacology, and

3. Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

4. LOCUS for Homocysteine and Related Vitamins, University of Bergen, N-5021 Bergen, Norway

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Recent data indicate that cobalamin and folate status, including the metabolic markers methylmalonic acid (MMA) and total homocysteine (tHcy), undergo marked changes during childhood, particularly during the first year.Methods: Serum cobalamin, serum and whole-blood folate, and plasma MMA and tHcy were determined in a cross-sectional study of 700 children, ages 4 days to 19 years.Results: During the first 6 months, serum cobalamin was lower than and plasma MMA, tHcy, and serum folate were higher than the concentrations detected in the other age groups. In infants 6 weeks to 6 months of age, median MMA and tHcy concentrations were >0.78 and >75 μmol/L, respectively. In older children (>6 months), serum cobalamin peaked at 3–7 years and then decreased, median plasma MMA remained low (<0.26 μmol/L), median plasma tHcy was low (<6 μmol/L) and increased from the age of 7 years on, and serum folate gradually decreased. Plasma MMA was inversely associated with cobalamin (r = −0.4) in both age groups, but across the whole range of cobalamin concentrations, MMA was markedly higher in infants (≤6 months) than in older children. Plasma tHcy showed a strong negative correlation to cobalamin (r = −0.52) but not to serum folate in infants ≤6 months. In older children, tHcy showed the expected association with both cobalamin (r = −0.48) and folate (r = −0.51).Conclusions: In infants 6 weeks to 6 months, concentrations of the metabolic markers MMA and tHcy were higher than in the other age groups and strongly correlated to cobalamin, whereas in older children, both makers showed correlations to cobalamin and folate concentrations documented in adults. Whether this metabolic profile in infants is explained by impaired cobalamin status, which in turn may have long-term effects on psychomotor development, remains to be addressed in intervention studies.

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Biochemistry (medical),Clinical Biochemistry

Cited by 106 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3