Hiperhomocisteinemia en adultos venezolanos infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana

homocysteine is considered an emerging cardiovascular disease risk factor. coronary heart disease is common in patients with human inmunodeficiencia virus infection. our objective was to determine the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in human inmunodeficiency virus -infected patients in a cross sectional study, in the centro de investigaciones médicas y biotecnológicas, universidad de carabobo and ciudad hospitalaria ？dr. enrique tejera？, valencia, venezuela. between april 2002 and november 2003, 64 male and 16 female adult in- and outpatients (≥19 years old) with hiv infection in any clinical stages were studied. the clinical categories of hiv infection were defined according to the center for communicable disease control′s (atlanta, ee.uu) classification system. a medical history and physical examination were performed for all patients. complete blood count, serum creatinine, albumin, serum homocysteine, serum folic acid and vitamin b12 were measured. hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as homocysteine >10μm. the distribution of patients into clinical categories of human inmunodeficiencia virus infection was: 45.6 % (category a), 29.6 % (category b), and 24.6 % (category c). at the time of blood collection, 46 % of the patients were being treated with antiretroviral therapy. the median serum homocysteine levels was 9.7 (95 %ci = 7.1 to 14.6). the overall prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 46.9 % (95 %ci = 35.7 % to 58.3 %). 23.4 % of the patients had serum homocysteine levels > 15μm. in valencia, venezuela, it seems to be a high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in adults with human inmunodeficiencia virus infection.