الصفحة 1
الصفحة 1
Homocysteine : Related Vitamins and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
There is an increasing interest in the connection between the homocysteine metabolism and neuropsychiatric disease with a steeply increasing number of publications. In particular, the association between homocysteine metabolism and cognitive decline/dementia attracts much interest. If simple, non-toxic homocysteine-lowering treatment with vitamins can reduce the incidence of, or delay the onset of dementia, it would have an enormous impact in societies with a rapidly increasing number of elderly at risk for dementia. This book summarises the research within the neuropsychiatric field, but also gives an overview of the underlying biochemistry and of diagnostic aspects.
Homocysteine
Homocysteine is a non-proteinogenic α-amino acid. It is a homologue of the amino acid cysteine, differing by an additional methylene bridge (-CH2-). It is biosynthesized from methionine by the removal of its terminal methyl group. In the body, Homocysteine (HCY) can be recycled into methionine or converted into cysteine with the aid of certain B-vitamins. A high level of Homocysteine in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia) makes a person more prone to endothelial cell injury, which leads to inflammation in the blood vessels, which in turn may lead to atherogenesis, which can result in ischemic injury. Therefore, hyperhomocysteinemia is a possible risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary artery disease occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque blocks blood flow to the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with oxygenated blood.
