Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Racial variation in fasting and random homocysteine levels.

D A Estrada1, H H Billett

  • 1Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10467, USA.

American Journal of Hematology
|April 6, 2001
PubMed
Summary

White males exhibit higher fasting homocysteine (Hcy) levels compared to black males and females. This difference in Hcy may be linked to genetic variations in the MTHFR enzyme.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Transition of care for pediatric and adult patients with venous thromboembolism: A National Quality Improvement Project from the American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network (ATHN).

Thrombosis research·2021
Same author

A comparison of direct thrombin inhibitors in the treatment of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: a single institution experience.

Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis·2008
Same author

Efficacy of inferior vena cava filters in anticoagulated patients.

Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH·2007
Same author

Liver function tests in sickle cell disease.

Clinical and laboratory haematology·2002
Same author

Direct and indirect antithrombins. Heparins, low molecular weight heparins, heparinoids, and hirudin.

Clinics in geriatric medicine·2001
Same author

The absolute neutrophil count: is it the best indicator for occult bacteremia in infants?

American journal of clinical pathology·1998

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels are recognized as a risk factor for thrombotic diseases.
  • Understanding racial and gender-based variations in Hcy is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate significant racial differences in fasting and random homocysteine (Hcy) levels between Black and White individuals.
  • To explore the influence of B12 and folate levels on Hcy variations across racial groups.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 100 participants (50 Black, 50 White), equally divided by gender, was studied.
  • Fasting and random serum Hcy, B12, folate, BUN, creatinine, and lipid profiles were measured.
  • Detailed dietary, medication, smoking, alcohol, medical, educational, and occupational histories were collected, along with BMI.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • White males displayed the highest fasting Hcy levels (10.5 microM/l).
  • No significant differences were observed in random Hcy levels between groups.
  • Black subjects had significantly higher B12 levels than White subjects (490.8 vs. 382.8 pg/ml), but this had minimal impact on total Hcy.
  • Folic acid levels did not significantly differ between racial groups and showed little correlation with Hcy.

Conclusions:

  • White males exhibit higher fasting Hcy levels than Black males and females within the studied cohort.
  • Observed discrepancies in Hcy levels may be attributed to methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme polymorphisms, which are more prevalent in White populations.
  • Socioeconomic factors appear less likely to explain the observed racial differences in Hcy levels.