Do all the patients with vitamin B12 deficiency have pernicious anemia?
Journal
Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine
Journal Volume
45
Journal Issue
1
Pages
23-27
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vitamin B12 deficiency may result in pernicious anemia (PA). This study evaluated whether all the patients with vitamin B12 deficiency had PA. METHODS: The blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine concentrations and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in 90 vitamin B12-deficient patients were measured and compared with the corresponding data in 180 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. PA was defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as having an Hb concentration 12.7 μM) and high MCV (≧100 fl), respectively. In addition, 43 (47.8%) vitamin B12-deficient patients with had GPCA positivity. Patients with vitamin B12 deficiency had a significantly higher frequency of Hb or iron deficiency, of abnormally elevated blood homocysteine level or high MCV, and of GPCA positivity than healthy control subjects (all P-values < 0.001). However, only 17 (18.9%) of 90 vitamin B12-deficient patients were diagnosed as having PA by the WHO definition. CONCLUSION: Only 18.9% of patients with vitamin B12 deficiency are discovered to have PA by the WHO definition.
SDGs
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Type
journal article