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Elevated Serum Homocysteine (Hcy) Levels May Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Cerebral Infarction

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Abstract

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the correlation between serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels and the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction (CI). Relevant studies involving serum Hcy levels and the pathogenesis of CI were identified using electronic database search supplemented with manual search. The search result studies were screened in accordance with our strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Statistical analyses were conducted with Comprehensive Meta Analysis 2.0 (CMA 2.0) software. A total of 13 studies were eligible for our meta-analysis and included 1206 patients with CI and 1202 healthy controls. Our meta-analysis revealed that the serum Hcy levels in CI patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity showed that Caucasians and Asians had significantly higher serum Hcy levels in CI patients compared to healthy controls and Africans showed no significant differences in serum Hcy levels between CI patients and controls. In conclusion, our meta-analysis reveals a strong correlation between elevated serum Hcy levels and the pathogenesis of CI, suggesting that serum Hcy levels may be an important biomarker for the early diagnosis and treatment assessment of CI.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to appreciate the reviewers for their helpful comments on this paper.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have proclaimed that there are no existing competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Elderly Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, No. 82 Zhongshan Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, 150036, People’s Republic of China

    Hong-Juan Fu, Li-Bo Zhao, Ju-Jun Xue, Zhi-Xuan Wu, Yue-Ping Huang, Wei Liu & Zhan Gao

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  1. Hong-Juan Fu
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  2. Li-Bo Zhao
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  3. Ju-Jun Xue
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  4. Zhi-Xuan Wu
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  5. Yue-Ping Huang
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  6. Wei Liu
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  7. Zhan Gao
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Correspondence to Zhan Gao.

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Fu, HJ., Zhao, LB., Xue, JJ. et al. Elevated Serum Homocysteine (Hcy) Levels May Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Cerebral Infarction. J Mol Neurosci 56, 553–561 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-015-0497-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-015-0497-6

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