Association of Serum Homocysteine with Anemia in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between homocysteine level and anemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients, a cross-sectional study that was conducted on patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing maintenance hemodialysis treatment. The study was carried out on 39 (F=15 M=24) stable hemodialysis HD patients. Mean ages of patients were 46±18 years. The length of the time patients had been on hemodialysis was 30±35 months (median: 18 months). The value of serum homocysteine of all patients was 5±2 μmol/L (median : 4.5 μmol/L). Mean±SD of hemoglobin and hematocrit level of all patients were 9±2 g/dl (median : 9 g/dl), and 28±6% median: 29% respectively. In this study, we assessed for the first time the positive relation of serum homocysteine with anemia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. In addition, in male HD patients a significant positive correlation of serum homocysteine with serum ferritin and a significant inverse correlation of serum homocysteine with serum total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were seen. It is possible that the high levels of serum homocysteine in some conditions may increases the micro inflammatory state of uremia in hemodialysis patients and had a role in intensification of anemia. In the meantime more research needs to confirm our conclusion.