Folate and vitamin B12 metabolism group

Three main research lines relating folate- and vitamin B12 metabolism can be described within the group, each with specific projects.

Figure: Simplified one-carbon metabolism involving folate metabolism (on the left) and vitamin B12 associated remethylation of homocysteine (on the right)

Vitamin B12

• Diagnosis and therapy of vitamin B12 deficiency
• Vitamin B12 in relation to cognitive function in adults and pregnancy
• Multicenter evaluation of the active B12 assay on 4 different platforms
• Homocysteine metabolism in Parkinson’s disease

Biomarker development

• Implementation of a folate vitamer assay

Methotrexate efficacy and toxicity

• Epigenomics of Methotrexate efficacy in reumatoid artritis

• Methotrexate toxicity in leukemia and lymphoma

1. Oosterom N, Fiocco M, Kloos RQH, van der Sluis IM, Pieters R, van Zelst BD,Smith DEC, van den Heuvel-Eibrink MM, de Jonge R, Heil SG. The evaluation of red blood cell folate and methotrexate levels during protocol M in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. BMC Cancer. 2020 Sep 30;20(1):940.
2. Gosselt HR, Griffioen P, van Zelst BD, Oosterom N, de Jonge R and Heil SG. Global DNA (hydroxy)methylation is stable over time under several storage conditions and temperatures. Epigenetics 2020, Jul 2:1-9.
3. Gosselt HR, van Zelst BD, de Rotte MCFJ, Hazes JMW, de Jonge R, Heil SG. Higher baseline global leukocyte DNA methylation is associated with MTX non-response in early RA patients. Arthritis Res Ther. 2019 Jun 26;21(1):157.
4. Heil SG, Bodenburg P, Findeisen P, Luebcke S, Sun Y, de Rijke YB. Multicentre evaluation of the Roche Elecsys® Active B12 (holotranscobalamin) electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. Ann Clin Biochem. 2019;16:4563219863818.
5. Mandaviya PR, Joehanes R, Brody J, Castillo-Fernandez JE, Dekkers KF, Do AN, Graff M, Hänninen IK, Tanaka T, de Jonge EAL, Kiefte-de Jong JC, Absher DM, Aslibekyan S, de Rijke YB, Fornage M, Hernandez DG, Hurme MA, Ikram MA, Jacques PF, Justice AE, Kiel DP, Lemaitre RN, Mendelson MM, Mikkilä V, Moore AZ, Pallister T, Raitakari OT, Schalkwijk CG, Sha J, Slagboom EPE, Smith CE, Stehouwer CDA, Tsai PC, Uitterlinden AG, van der Kallen CJH, van Heemst D, Arnett DK, Bandinelli S, Bell JT, Heijmans BT, Lehtimäki T, Levy D, North KE, Sotoodehnia N, van Greevenbroek MMJ, van Meurs JBJ, Heil SG. Association of dietary folate and vitamin B-12 intake with genome-wide DNA methylation in blood: a large-scale epigenome-wide association analysis in 5,841 individuals. Am J ClinNutr. 2019 Aug 1;110(2):437-450.

Internal

Clinical Genetics

Epidemiology

Hematology

Neurology

Reumatology

External

Amsterdam UMC

Hogeschool Rotterdam

Tufts University

University of Lisboa

UC Davis

Vitamin B12 institute Rotterdam

Contact us: j.vis@erasmusmc.nl