Neural-tube defects are associated with low concentrations of cobalamin (vitamin B12) in amniotic fluid

While folate supplementation reduces the risk of recurrent neural-tube defects (NTD), both folate and cobalamin deficiencies may be independent risk-factors for neural-tube defects. Folate-dependence and impaired remethylation of homocysteine are implicated as mechanisms for NTD. There are few references reported for folate, cobalamin, homocysteine and methionine in the fetal compartment. This case-controlled pilot study of amniotic fluid (AF) samples derived from 16 NTD pregnancies and 64 age-matched controls quantities total homocysteine (tHcy), total cysteine (tCys), folate, cobalamin (B12), and methionine. Only decreased AF B12 concentrations were found (150 pg/ml versus 540 pg/ml, P < 0.02). Since cobalamin, folate and homocysteine participate in the remethylation of homocysteine, via methyl transfer from 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to B12, to methionine, we compared ratios of these methionine synthase (EC 2.1.1.13)-related intermediates. The ratio of B12/folate for NTD versus controls was 48 (34-90) versus 126 (123-182), P < 0.001. The ratio of methionine/(folate x tHcy) was 1.4 (1.2-2.2) versus 2.7 (2.4-3.3), P < 0.001. We conclude that AF from pregnancies with NTD have lower B12 concentrations, and that ratios of product to substrate(s) of homocysteine remethylation suggest impaired methionine synthase in the fetal compartment through the early second trimester.