Usefulness of plasma vitamin B6, B12, folate, homocysteine, and creatinine in predicting outcomes in heart transplant recipients

Atherothrombotic complications are frequently seen in patients undergoing heart transplantation. These patients have high plasma total homocysteine concentrations associated with lower folate and vitamin B-6 levels. The relation between these metabolic abnormalities and the development of vascular complications, however, remains unclear. Fasting plasma total homocysteine, folate, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6, and creatinine were measured in 160 cardiac transplant recipients who were followed for a mean duration of 28 +/- 9 months after blood draw (mean 59 +/- 28 months after transplant). Cardiovascular events and causes of mortality were determined and Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors for cardiovascular events and mortality. Twenty-five patients developed cardiovascular events and 17 died (11 cardiovascular deaths). Mean +/- SD total homocysteine value was 18.4 +/- 8.5 (range 4.3 to 63.5 mumol/L). Hyperhomocysteinemia (greater than or equal to15 mumol/L) was seen in 99 patients (62%). Levels were no different in patients with or without cardiovascular complications/death (16.8 +/- 6.2 vs 18.9 +/- 9 mumol/l., p = 0.4). However, vitamin B-6 deficiency was seen in 21% of recipients with and in 9% without cardiovascular complications/death (p = 0.05). The relative risk for cardiovascular events, including cardiovascular death, increased 2.7 times (confidence interval 1.2 to 5.9) for B-6 levels less than or equal to20 nmol/L compared with those with normal B-6 levels (p = 0.02). Thus, hyperhomocysteinemia is common in transplant recipients but may have no causal role in the atherothrombotic vascular complications of transplantation. Deficiency of vitamin B-6, however, may predict adverse outcomes, suggesting a possible role for supplementation with this vitamin. (C) 2002 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.