Elevated Homocysteine Levels Contribute to Larger Hematoma Volume in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

• Published in: Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 784 - 788
• Main Authors: Zhou, Fangfang, MD, chen, Botao, MD, Chen, Chunli, MS, Huang, Jinjin, MD, Chen, Shiyu, MD, Guo, Fulin, MD, Hu, Zhiping, MD, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2015
• Subjects: Aged; Cardiovascular; Cerebral Hemorrhage - complications; Chi-Square Distribution; Female; hematoma; Hematoma - blood; Hematoma - etiology; homocysteine; Homocysteine - blood; Humans; intracerebral hemorrhage; Leukocyte Count; Male; Middle Aged; Neurology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke; stroke outcome; Thalamus - pathology; intracerebral hemorrhage; homocysteine; Stroke; stroke outcome; hematoma
• ISSN: 1052-3057; 1532-8511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2014.11.005

Background We investigate whether plasma homocysteine (HCY) levels are associated with hematoma volume and outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods A total of 69 patients admitted within 24 hours after ICH onset was divided into 2 groups based on admission plasma HCY levels (low homocysteinemia [LHCY] group, plasma HCY concentrations ≤14.62 μmol/L, versus high homocysteinemia [HHCY] group, >14.62 μmol/L). Results Mean hematoma volumes for 2 groups (LHCY and HHCY) were 13.18 and 23.09 mL ( P  = .012), respectively, in patients with thalamoganglionic ICH, but hematoma volumes between 2 groups had no significant difference among patients with lobar or infratentorial ICH. On multivariate linear regression analysis, elevated HCY levels significantly correlated with larger hematoma volume in patients with thalamoganglionic ICH ( B  = .604, P  = .004) after adjustment for confounding factors. Poor outcomes (6-month modified Rankin Scale scores ≥3) were not significantly different between 2 groups (low homocysteinemia group, 31.4%, versus high homocysteinemia group, 41.2%, P  = .400). Conclusions Elevated plasma HCY levels were associated with larger hematoma volume only in patients with thalamoganglionic ICH. HCY levels might not be predictors of the 6-month clinical outcome in patients with ICH.