Homocysteine and Miscarriage
Homocysteine is 17% higher in women with repeat miscarriage
Homocysteine was elevated in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriage in comparison to controls (8.3 vs. 7.1 micromol/L).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18636794
High homocysteine increases risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects
Evidence suggests a connection between the amino acid homocysteine and a variety of pregnancy complications, including recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and placental abruption as well as adverse neonatal outcomes such as neural tube, heart and limb defects, intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth.
http://www.tommys.org/Page.aspx?pid=361
Impaired ability to process homocysteine linked to recurrent miscarriage
The levels of reduced glutathione (homocysteine that has been converted via the transsulfuration pathway, requiring vitamin B6) were significantly lower in women with recurrent miscarriage than in controls. However, the plasma levels of lipid peroxidation, alkaline phosphatase, glucose and blood haemoglobin were significantly higher in recurrent miscarriage than in controls. In addition, plasma levels of glutathione peroxidase, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, sodium, potassium, calcium and number of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelet and values of packet cell volume showed no significant differences between women with recurrent miscarriage and controls. According to the results of this study, we observed that the levels of lipid peroxidation were increased were decreased in women with recurrent miscarriage .
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9857484
High homocysteine is a risk factor for having a Down Syndrome child
One hundred Chinese mothers who gave birth to babies with Down Syndrome and 100 control mothers were chosen. The MTHFR 677T allele frequency was significantly different among case mothers, compared with control mothers; the odds ratio for the heterozygous CT genotype was 2.12, whereas for the homozygous TT genotype, the odds ratio was 3.43. The mean plasma homocysteine concentration [(9.04) mu mol/L] of cases was significantly different from that of controls [(6.53) mu mol/L]. The presence of the 677C>T substitution in one or both alleles was associated with increased plasma homocysteine both in case mothers and control mothers. CONCLUSION: Our results provide evidences that plasma homocysteine and genetic polymorphism in gene of folate pathway are risk factors for mothers to have a Down Syndrome child in China.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17922421
Low vitamin B12 linked to recurrent miscarriage and high homocysteine
Vitamin B12 was significantly decreased in patients with recurrent miscarriage compared to controls (mean concentrations 197 vs. 300 pg/mL). The lowest mean serum vitamin B12 (172 pg/mL) was observed in primary aborters (a woman with no children, each pregnancy terminates in miscarriage). A highly significant correlation between homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and vitamin B12 was observed only in patients but not in controls.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18636794