The Relationship of Plasma Homocysteine Levels and the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Gene Polymorphism to Ankylosing Spondylitis in a Chinese Population

摘要

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate therelationship of both the plasma homocysteine (Hcy) leveland N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTFHR)gene polymorphism with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Patients and methods: Two hundred Chinesepatients with AS and 120 healthy controls wereincluded. The plasma Hcy level was examined byenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), whilethe MTHFR gene polymorphism was analyzed bythe polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restrictionfragment length polymorphism (RFLP).Results: The two groups were examined according toage, and no statistically significant differences were found.The plasma Hcy level in the AS group was significantlyhigher than the control group (t=24.402, p=0.000). Theratio of the T/T genotype mutation was different in theAS group and the control group (X2=9.874, p=0.002)There was no marked difference in the frequenciesof the MTHFR C/C, or C/T genotype between the twogroups. The plasma Hcy level of the T/T genotype wassignificantly higher than that of the C/T or C/C genotypein the AS group (q=6.496, p<0.01; q=12.088, p<0.01).Conclusion: Our study result showed that the plasmaHcy levels were significantly increased in patients withAS, and the MTHFR T/T genotype mutation was animportant influential mechanism which precipitatedhyperhomocysteinemia and might be related to AS.