Clinical Efficacy of Oral Reduced Glutathione in Hyperhomocysteinemia Patients with Different Genotype

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of reduced glutathione(GSH) by oral in hyperhomocysteinemia(HHcy) patients with different methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) C667T point genotype. METHODS One hundred and seven patients with HHcy were randomized divided into 2 groups:group G(n=55, GSH 0.2 g bid), group F(n=52, folic acid tablets 0.4 mg bid). In all patients, the genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood by using Genomic DNA kit, and single nucleotide polymorphisms of MTHFR C667T was genotyped by PCR-chip hybridization(type CC, CT and TT). The total average serum homocysteine(Hcy) as well as the average serum Hcy of each genotype patients between the 2 groups were compared after 12 months. RESULTS After 12 months, compared with before treatment, the average serum Hcy of group G and group F decreased significantly(P<0.01), but there was not significant difference between the 2 groups. The average serum Hcy of each genotype patients in group G and group F decreased significantly. But for type CC patients, the average serum Hcy of group G decreased lower than group F(10.3±3.2 μmol·L^-1 vs 15.5±3.6 μmol·L^-1, P<0.01). For type CT patients, there was not significant difference between group G and group F. While for type TT patients, the average serum Hcy of group F decreased lower than group G(26.7±9.8 μmol·L^-1 vs 45.5±10.6 μmol·L^-1, P<0.01). CONCLUSION GSH can effectively reduce Hcy, and the overall effect of reducing Hcy concentration is similar to that of folic acid. But in MTHFR C677T CC and TT HHcy patients, the effects between GSH and folic acid may be different. GSH may be an effective method to treat HHcy, especially to those patients with HHcy of CC genotype of MTHFR C677T.