Yonsei Med J.  2013 Jul;54(4):819-824. 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.4.819.

Plasma Total Homocysteine Level Is Associated with the Pulsatility Index of Cerebral Arteries in Lacunar Infarction

• An SA
• Lee HB
• Kim Y
• Kim J
• Kim HS
• Kim WC
• Kim OJ
• Oh SH

• KMID: 2158213
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2013.54.4.819

Abstract

PURPOSE
The pulsatility index (PI), measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD), is a surrogate marker for distal vascular resistance in cerebral arteries, and elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcyt) is regarded as a cause of ischemic stroke, including lacunar infarction. We investigated the relationship between the PI of cerebral arteries and plasma tHcyt in patients with lacunar infarction.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Plasma tHcyt level and TCD examination were performed in 94 patients with lacunar infarction. Mean flow velocity (MFV) and PI were assessed at the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) and contralateral MCA, relative to the infarction, and the basilar artery (BA). Multivariate regression analysis was conducted between log-transformed tHcyt levels (logHcyt) and the PI of individual arteries.
RESULTS
There was a significant correlation between logHcyt and the PI in all tested arteries (ipsilateral MCA: r=0.21, p=0.03; contralateral MCA: r=0.21, p=0.04; BA: r=0.35, p=0.01). In multivariate regression analysis, this significance remained unchanged after adjusting for vascular risk factors, creatinine, hematocrit and platelet count (ipsilateral MCA: beta=0.26, p=0.01; contralateral MCA: beta=0.21, p=0.04; BA: beta=0.39, p=0.001). There was no significant association between logHcyt and MFV of individual arteries.
CONCLUSION
A significant association between plasma tHcyt and the PI of cerebral arteries indicates that homocysteine plays a role in the increase of distal arterial resistance in lacunar infarction.

Keyword

Homocysteine; pulsatility index; lacunar infarction

MeSH Terms

Aged
Basilar Artery/ultrasonography
Cerebral Arteries/physiopathology/*ultrasonography
Female
Hematocrit
Homocysteine/*blood
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Middle Cerebral Artery/ultrasonography
Regression Analysis
Risk Factors
Stroke, Lacunar/*blood/physiopathology/ultrasonography
Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
Vascular Resistance
Homocysteine

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Correlation analysis between log-transformed homocysteine (logHcyt) and pulsatility index (PI) of ipsilateral MCA (A), contralateral MCA (B), and basilar artery (C). r, Pearson's correlation coefficient; MCA, middle cerebral artery.

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