Hyperhomocysteinemia and protein damage in chronic renal failure and kidney transplant pediatric patients - Italian initiative on uremic hyperhomocysteinemia (IIUH)

Background: Plasma homocysteine, a new cardiovascular risk factor in both children and adults, is higher in chronic renal failure or kidney transplant patients. This alteration has been linked, in chronic renal failure, to plasma protein damage, represented by increased L-isoaspartyl residues. We measured plasma homocysteine levels and plasma protein damage in pediatric patients from four different Italian regions with conservatively treated renal failure; hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), or transplants, to establish the presence of protein damage and the relative role of hyperhomocysteinemia. Methods: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation measured total plasma homocysteine levels, using precolumn derivatization with ammonium 7-fluorobenzo-2-oxa-1, 3-diazole-4-sulphonate (SBD-F). Plasma protein L-isoaspartyl residues were quantitated using human recombinant protein carboxyl methyl transferase (PCMT). Results: In all patient groups, homocysteine levels were significantly higher with respect to the control (Control: 6.87 ± 0.73 μM) conservatively treated, 14.19 ± 1.73 μM; hemodialysis, 27.03 ± 4.32 μM; CAPD, 22.38 ± 3.73 μM; transplanted, 20.22 ± 2.27 μM, p