Blood levels of homocysteine, cysteine, glutathione, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in the acute phase of atherothrombotic stroke

Blood levels of total homocysteine (tHcy), cysteine (Cys), total and reduced glutathione (tGSH and rGSH), folic acid (FA), and vitamin B-12 (B-12) change during ischemic stroke as accompaniment of the tissue damage. The relationship between these changes remains scantly investigated. We evaluated the variation of these molecules in the 48 h after acute large artery atherothrombotic stroke (LAAS) and searched for the presence of matched variation of them. The study involved 50 subjects affected by acute LAAS and 49 healthy controls. Plasma levels of tHcy and Cys were significantly higher and serum levels of FA and B-12 and plasma levels of rGSH were significantly lower in the patients than in the control group. Acute LAAS was associated with increased Hcy-decreased tGSH and decreased FA/tGSH. Pathways involved in cellular stress and in tissue repair are activated during acute LAAS.