Low plasma levels of vitamin B-6 are independently associated with a heightened risk of deep-vein thrombosis

Background - Elevated plasma levels of total homocysteine (tHcy) before and after an oral methionine load (PML) are associated with an elevated risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). We investigated whether plasma levels of B vitamins that are involved in Hcy metabolism are associated with an elevated risk of DVT. Methods and Results - We compared 397 cases with previous DVT with 585 matched healthy controls. The plasma levels of folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and fasting and PML tHcy were measured. The ORs for DVT associated with high (>95th percentile) fasting levels and PML increases of tHcy were 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.4) and 2.4 (95% CI, 1.5 to 3.9) after adjustment for established risk factors for DVT. Fasting plasma levels and PML increases in tHcy correlated negatively with vitamin levels. The crude OR for folate levels in the lowest quartile compared with the highest was 1.5 (95% CI, 1.1 to 2.1), and that for B6 levels in the lowest and second quartiles compared with the highest was 1.5 (95% CI, 1.0 to 2.1). However, after adjustment for established risk factors and fasting and PML tHcy, the ORs for B6 levels in the lowest and second quartiles only remained statistically significant (lowest quartile: OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.8; second quartile, OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.9). Conclusions - High fasting and PML tHcy and low vitamin B6 plasma levels are associated with an elevated risk for DVT independently of established risk factors for DVT. The association of low vitamin B6 levels with the risk for DVT is independent of fasting and PML tHcy levels.