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Low Serum B 12 Levels in a Hematologically Normal Elderly Subpopulation
Author(s) -
Marcus David L.,
Shadick Nancy,
Crantz Joanne,
Gray Michael,
Hernandez Frank,
Freedman Michael L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1987.tb04339.x
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin b , group b , gastroenterology , endocrinology , vitamin
Serum Vitamin B 12 levels were determined on 378 patients ranging in age from 56 to 104 years with a median age of 77 for both males and females. A radiodilution method was employed for these determinations. This screening procedure identified 26 patients with low serum B 12 levels. Nineteen of these patients had no other symptoms and were hematologically normal. The B 12 binding proteins, transcobalamins (TC) I, II, and III were quantitated employing QUSO and DEAE cellulose batch separations. The total number of TC II binding/affinity sites for B 12 were elevated in both the normal and low B 12 elderly groups. About 17% of the total serum B 12 was carried by TC II in the control group while only 4% of the total was carried on TC II in both the normal and low B 12 elderly. This was accompanied by an increase in unsaturation in TC II for these two groups. The findings suggest that an alteration in the TC II‐B 12 delivery system has occurred in the elderly.