Premium
Further studies on the use of serum gastrin levels in assessing the significance of low serum B 12 levels
Author(s) -
Miller A.,
Slingerland D. W.,
Cardarelli J.,
Burrows B. A.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830310309
Subject(s) - malabsorption , pernicious anemia , medicine , gastroenterology , vitamin b , gastrin , absorption (acoustics) , incidence (geometry) , endocrinology , anemia , vitamin , secretion , physics , acoustics , optics
The reported incidence of low serum vitamin B 12 levels in patients ranges from 4% to 8%. In only a small percentage can this be ascribed to readily diagnosed pernicious anemia, malabsorption syndrome, or to gastrointestinal surgery. This leaves a number of patients in whom the meaning of the low serum B 12 is not immediately apparent. In 71 patients with intact gastrointestinal tracts, hematological indices did not adequately separate patients with decreased absorption of unbound B 12 from those with normal absorption. A low absorption of B 12 , either unbound or food‐bound, was found, however, when the level of serum gastrin was elevated. In contrast, a normal absorption of unbound B 12 was likely (95% of 44 patients) when the serum gastrin was normal.