Correlation between serum homocysteine, folate, vitamin B6 and age-related cataract

Abstract Age-related cataracts (ARC) are the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness, affecting 16 million subjects globally. This work aimed to investigate the correlation of serum homocysteine (Hcy), folate, vitamin B6 (VitB6) and ARC. We prospectively enrolled 60 ARC, and 58 age-matched healthy controls in this study. The serum concentrations of Hcy were determined using a fully automatic biochemical analyzer and folate/VitB6 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic performance of serum Hcy, folate and VitB6 for ARC were evaluated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC). The mean serum levels of Hcy, folate and VitB6 from the control group were 9.8 ± 2.1 μmol/L, 17.4 ± 2.3 nmol/L, 42.3 ± 5.7 pmol/L, respectively. In comparison, the mean serum levels of Hcy, folate and VitB6 from the ARC group were 12.2 ± 2.5 μmol/L, 15.3 ± 2.6 nmol/L, 40.3 ± 5.1 pmol/L, respectively. Significant statistical difference (p<0.05) were found between the control and ARC groups. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and AUC of serum Hcy as a biomarker for ARC were 53.1%, 76.3% and 0.66 (95% CI:0.61-0.76), respectively, which were superior to that of serum folate and VitB6. Serum Hcy was significantly elevated in ARC patients and correlated with ARC development, thus may be used as a serological marker for ARC diagnosis.