Homocysteine exchange across skeletal muscle in patients with chronic kidney disease

Sites and mechanisms regulating the supply of homocysteine (Hcy) to the circulation are unexplored in humans. We studied the exchange of Hcy across the forearm in CKD patients (n = 17, eGFR 20 +/- 2 ml/min), in hemodialysis (HD)-treated patients (n = 14) and controls (n = 9). Arterial Hcy was similar to 2.5 folds increased in CKD and HD patients (p < 0.05-0.03 vs. controls). Both in controls and in patients Hcy levels in the deep forearm vein were consistently greater (+similar to 7%, p < 0.05-0.01) than the corresponding arterial levels, indicating the occurrence of Hcy release from muscle. The release of Hcy from the forearm was similar among groups. In all groups arterial Hcy varied with its release from muscle (p < 0.03-0.02), suggesting that muscle plays an important role on plasma Hcy levels. Forearm Hcy release was inversely related to folate plasma level in all study groups but neither to vitamin B12 and IL-6 levels nor to muscle protein net balance. These data indicate that the release of Hcy from peripheral tissue metabolism plays a major role in influencing its Hcy plasma levels in humans and patients with CKD, and that folate is a major determinant of Hcy release.