Homocysteine tied to spinal osteoarthritis prevalence in postmenopausal women

Circulating homocysteine and C677T variant in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) appear to influence the prevalence rate and ensuing progression of spinal osteoarthritis (OA), respectively, in postmenopausal women, a study has shown.

The authors examined the relationship of homocysteine and C677T polymorphism in MTHFR, which is involved in homocysteine clearance, with the development and progression of spinal OA through a combined cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort study. They followed 1,306 Japanese postmenopausal outpatients participating in the Nagano Cohort Study for a mean of 9.7 years.

The authors also conducted cross-sectional multiple logistic regression for spinal OA at registration by serum homocysteine level, with adjustment for confounders. In addition to Kaplan–Meier analysis, they also used multivariate Cox regression to assess the independent risk of MTHFR C677T variant for spinal OA progression.

In multivariate regression analysis, homocysteine significantly correlated with spinal OA prevalence (odds ratio, 1.38, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.14–1.68). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed a gene dosage effect of the T allele in MTHFR C677T polymorphism on the accelerated progression of spinal OA severity (p=0.003).

Cox regression analysis confirmed a statistically significant independent risk of the T allele for spinal OA advancement. The adjusted hazard ratios for the CT/TT and TT genotypes were 1.68 (95 percent CI, 1.16–2.42) and 1.67 (95 percent CI, 1.23–2.28), respectively.

“These factors may represent potential interventional targets to prevent OA development and improve clinical outcomes,” the authors said.