Rasha Hatem Ali, Ibrahim Abdel-Razik, Mohammed Salah ELsayed AlAhmar, Hesham Abdel-Shafy Dawood, Khaled A Elkapany
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered a progressive irreversible disease that makes neurological dysfunction. Homocysteine is a biomarker that is linked to physical disability and cognitive impairment in patients with MS.
Objective: To study the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in MS patients. To study the possible association between hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and physical disability, and cognitive impairment in MS patients. Patients and Methods: This was a case-control study that was carried out on 40 MS patients, and 40 controls comparable in age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Patients underwent Cognitive, physical, and laboratory assessments including homocysteine serum level.
Results: Homocysteine serum level was significantly higher in the cases group than in the control group. HHcy is associated with cognitive impairment in MS patients. Physical disability assessed by EDSS score was not associated with HHcy in our research. Homocysteine serum level had a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 57.5% at best cutoff value ≥13.75, with an accuracy of 96.3% for predicting multiple sclerosis disability and cognitive impairment.
Conclusion: Higher circulating homocysteine levels were present in MS patients compared with controls. Physical disability was associated with HHcy in our research. Hhcy is not associated with cognitive impairment in patients suffering from MS.