2263 13 archive 2 disk0/00/00/22/63 2008-07-03 06:45:00 2008-07-03 06:45:00 2008-07-03 06:45:00 article show Ton, So Har Gill, Shiela Kaur Low, Wai Yee Voon, Kerk Qin Monash University Malaysia. School of Arts and Sciences Monash University Malaysia. School of Arts and Sciences Monash University Malaysia. School of Arts and Sciences Monash University Malaysia. School of Arts and Sciences pub Q R none homocysteine, folic acid, vitamin C, smokers Homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin C have been shown to play a role in cardiovascular diseases. As smoking is on the rise in Malaysia and the smokers are getting younger it was decided to determine the levels of homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin C in some young Malaysian smokers. Sera from 105 subjects (65 smokers, 40 non-smokers, ages 20-30 years) were analyzed for homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin C. In non smokers the mean serum folate concentration was 11.9 ± 3.1 ng/ml while the mean serum homocysteine concentration was 9.2 ± 3.1 μmol/L. In smokers the mean serum folate concentration was 7.6 ± 3.7 ng/ml while the homocysteine concentration was 10.7 ± 2.8 μmol/L. Statistical analysis revealed that the smokers had significantly lower folate concentration and higher homocysteine concentration compared to non -smokers (p ≤ 0.05). Homocysteine and vitamin C concentrations in erythrocyte were also determined. The mean erythrocyte homocysteine concentration in non- smokers was 0.29 ± 0.2 μmol/L and in smokers it was 0.24 ± 0.1 μmol/L. However no significant difference was observed between the smokers and non- smokers. Vitamin C analysis showed that there was no difference in its concentration between sera (2.51 ± 2.7 vs 1.02 ± 0.8 ng/ml) and erythrocytes (6.76 ± 2.7 vs 7.17 ± 1.2 ng/ml) of smokers and non-smokers. 2005 published Malaysian Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 12 1 Malaysian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 58-60 TRUE ISSN 1511-2616 http://ejum.fsktm.um.edu.my/ArticleInformation.aspx?ArticleID=613 1. Alberg A. The influence of cigarette smoking on circulating concentrations of antioxidant micronutrients, Toxicology, 2002; 180 (2): 121-137. 2. Mason P. 1999. Folic Acid - New roles for a well known vitamin, The Pharma J, 1999; 263: 673-677. 3. Clarke D,Stanbie D. Assessment of homocysteine as a cardiovascular risk factor in clinical practice, Ann Clin Biochem 2001; 38: 624-632. 4. Cafolla A, Dragoni F, Girelli G, Tosti M, Constante A, De Luca , Funaro D, Scott C. Effect of folic acid and vitamin C supplementation on folate status and homocysteine level: A randomised controlled trial in Italian smoker-blood donors: Atherosclerosis, 2002; 163 (1): 105-111. 5. Chow C, Thacker R, Changchit C, Bridges R, Rehm S, Humble J, Turbek J. Lower levels of vitamin C and carotenes in plasma of cigarette smokers. J American Coll Nutri, 1986; 5(3): 305-312. 6. Elsayed NM, Bendich A. Dietary antioxidants: potential effects on oxidative products in cigarette smoke, Nutri Res, 2001; 21: 551-567. 7. Malinow M, Kang S, Talyor L, Wong P, Coull B, Inahara T, Mukerjee D, Sexton G, Upson B 1989, Prevalence of hyperhomocyst(e)inemia in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, Circulation, 1989; 79: 1180-1188. 8. Eikelboom J. Homocysteine and cardiovascular disease: A critical review of the epidemiological evidence. Ann Intern Med, 1999; 131: 363-375 9. Henry R, Cannon D, Winkelman J. In: Clinical Chemistry, Principles and Techniques 1974; Harper & Row Pub, London 10. Lykkesfeldt J, Loft S, Nielsen J, Poulsen H. Ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid as biomarkers of oxidative stress caused by smoking, American J Clin Nutri, 65(4):959-963