Increased plasma homocysteine levels in patients with multiple sclerosis and depression

Nikolaos Triantafyllou¹ , Maria-Eleftheria Evangelopoulos¹ , Vasilios K Kimiskidis² , Evangelia Kararizou¹ , Fotini Boufidou¹ , Konstantinos N Fountoulakis³ , Melina Siamouli³ , Chrysoula Nikolaou¹ , Constantinos Sfagos¹ , Nikolaos Vlaikidis² and Dimitrios Vassilopoulos¹

¹Department of Neurology, Eginitio Hospital, University of Athens, Greece

²Department of Neurology III, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

³Department of Psychiatry III, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

author email corresponding author email

Annals of General Psychiatry 2008, 7:17doi:10.1186/1744-859X-7-17


Published:	9 September 2008

Abstract

Background

The aim of the study was to assess the plasma levels of homocysteine in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to investigate whether an association with depression exists.

Methods

Plasma homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12 and plasma folate were measured in 65 moderately disabled patients with relapsing/remitting MS (RR-MS) and 60 healthy controls. All subjects were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results

Hcy levels were significantly increased in MS patients compared to controls (13.5 ± 4.7 μmol/l vs 8.5 ± 3.1, p < 0.001). A significant correlation was found between Hcy levels and BDI scores (Pearson r = 0.3025, p < 0.05). Plasma Hcy was not related to Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, age, disease duration or vitamin B12 and folate.

Conclusion

Moderately disabled MS patients with elevated Hcy levels are particularly prone to develop depressive symptomatology. Further study is warranted in order to elucidate the prognostic and therapeutic implications of this novel finding.