Adebayo K J, Madu E F, Adebayo-Kay V C
J Trop Pediatr. 2008 Aug;54(4):282-3. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmn006. Epub 2008 Feb 23.
Although the elevation of circulating total serum homocysteine (tHcy) concentration in a fasting state is associated with an increased risk of occlusive vascular disease in adults, the levels in children in Nigeria are not known.
The goals of this study were to describe the distribution of tHcy among a representative sample of children and adolescents in Jos, Nigeria, and to test for differences in tHcy among sex and age categories.
The sampling scheme, which included persons aged 10 to 19 years, was a stratified, multistage probability design. This cross sectional study involved 182 school children drawn from secondary schools in Jos, Nigeria between January and July 2003. Fasting venous samples were collected and assayed for tHcy, Total protein and Albumin. Anthropometric measurements were taken.
The mean tHcy concentrations were 2.7 +/- 2.4 (95% CI 2.4-2.9), 3.5 +/- 3.2 (3.3-3.8) and 3.6 +/- 3.2 (3.3-4.1), 4.1 +/- 3.6 (4.0-4.4) micromol/l for the girls and boys aged 10-14 and 15-19 years, respectively. Albumin levels correlate positively with plasma total homocysteine, tHcy (r = 0.45, P = 0.03).
This study provided age-specific data regarding tHcy concentrations between 10-19 years population in Jos, Nigeria. The tHcy concentration increased as a function of age in both sexes.
尽管空腹状态下循环血清总同型半胱氨酸（tHcy）浓度升高与成人闭塞性血管疾病风险增加相关，但尼日利亚儿童的tHcy水平尚不清楚。
本研究的目的是描述尼日利亚乔斯市儿童和青少年代表性样本中tHcy的分布情况，并检测不同性别和年龄组之间tHcy的差异。
抽样方案包括10至19岁的人群，采用分层多阶段概率设计。这项横断面研究纳入了2003年1月至7月间从尼日利亚乔斯市中学抽取的182名在校儿童。采集空腹静脉样本，检测tHcy、总蛋白和白蛋白水平，并进行人体测量。
10至14岁女孩和15至19岁男孩的平均tHcy浓度分别为2.7±2.4（95%可信区间2.4 - 2.9）、3.5±3.2（3.3 - 3.8）、3.6±3.2（3.3 - 4.1）、4.1±3.6（4.0 - 4.4）微摩尔/升。白蛋白水平与血浆总同型半胱氨酸tHcy呈正相关（r = 0.45，P = 0.03）。
本研究提供了尼日利亚乔斯市10至19岁人群tHcy浓度的年龄特异性数据。男女两性的tHcy浓度均随年龄增长而升高。
