Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 2019 Jan;46(1):124-126

Dept. of Surgery, Arao Municipal Hospital.

A 70s male was referred to our hospital with anemia that was detected during a medical checkup. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed advanced cardia gastric cancer. A diagnosis of pernicious anemia was made due to the macrocytic hyperchromic anemia and detection of intrinsic factor antibody. Read More

N Engl J Med 2019 Feb;380(7):665-674

From the Departments of Psychiatry (C.H., O.F., A.I.), Radiology (B.P.L.), Hematology (J.C.T.C.), and Pathology (J.M.B.), Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Departments of Psychiatry (C.H., O.F., A.I.), Radiology (B.P.L.), Hematology (J.C.T.C.), and Pathology (J.M.B.), Harvard Medical School - both in Boston.

Front Neurosci 2019 25;13. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Geriatric Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.

Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is a relatively rare myelopathy mainly caused by vitamin B (VitB12) deficiency. There are many causes contributing to VitB12 deficiency. Autoimmune gastritis might lead to severe VitB12 malabsorption and in its advanced stage pernicious anemia (PA) may occur. Read More

J Formos Med Assoc 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background/purpose: Gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA), thyroglobulin antibody (TGA), and thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA) are organ-specific autoantibodies. This study mainly assessed the frequencies of presence of serum GPCA, TGA, and TMA in atrophic glossitis (AG) patients.

Methods: Serum GPCA, TGA, and TMA levels were measured in 1064 AG patients and in 532 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Read More

Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been a mainstay of treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PCa), but limited studies have been performed to investigate the association between ADT and autoimmune diseases.

Methods: We conducted a population-based nationwide cohort study of 17,168 patients newly diagnosed with PCa between 1996 and 2013 using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. Cox proportional hazards models with 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis were used to investigate the association between ADT use and the risk of autoimmune diseases. Read More

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2019 01 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit. Centro Materno Infantil do Norte - CMIN. Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto. Porto, Portugal.

Objectives: Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastric mucosa, mainly described in adults presenting with pernicious anemia. It results from antibody-mediated destruction of parietal cells, but the precise initiating event is unknown. The pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori (H. Read More

Endokrynol Pol 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of occurrence of antibodies participating in the development of endocrine diseases in patients with autoimmune hematopoietic disease, thus documenting the potential suitability of specific diagnostic and screening tests.

Material And Methods: The study group consisted of 124 persons (men and women) with newly diagnosed Pernicious Anemia (PA) and the control group (C) of 41 healthy people. Antibodies against: internal factor (IFAb), gastric parietal cells (APCA), thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb), thyroglobulin (TgAb), adrenal cortex (AdrenalAb) and pituitary anterior lobe (PituitaryAb) were determined in the blood. Read More

Autoimmun Rev 2019 Mar 11;18(3):215-222. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Division of Gastroenterology and Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, ASST San Gerardo Hospital, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy.

Chronic autoimmune atrophic gastritis (CAAG) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease, which affects the corpus-fundus gastric mucosa. Although it has been described for several years, the real pathophysiological mechanisms, the natural history and the possible neoplastic complications are not completely known. Atrophy of the gastric mucosa is the endpoint of the chronic processes, with the loss of glandular cells and their replacement by intestinal-type epithelium, pyloric-type glands, and fibrous tissue. Read More

Ann Gastroenterol 2019 Jan-Feb;32(1):67-72. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Division of Gastroenterology (Nadim Mahmud, Bryson W. Katona, David C. Metz).

Background: Autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis (AMAG) is an immune-mediated process that may lead to pernicious anemia (PA) and an increased risk of gastric cancer. Although some literature supports 3- or 5-year endoscopic surveillance for gastric cancer in patients with PA, no formal guidance exists for the general AMAG population. We sought to identify the prevalence and incidence rates of dysplasia or adenocarcinoma in patients with AMAG in order to clarify endoscopic best practices. Read More

J Formos Med Assoc 2019 Feb 21;118(2):565-571. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background/purpose: Approximately 27% of atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have the serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity. This study assessed whether the serum GPCA or AG itself was a significant factor causing anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA-positive AG (GPCAAG) and GPCA-negative AG (GPCAAG) patients.

Methods: The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 284 GPCAAG, 780 GPCAAG patients, and 532 healthy control subjects. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2019 ;1901:113-131

Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.

The Luciferase Immuno Precipitation System (LIPS) enables the detection of specific serum antibodies by immunoprecipitation of recombinant antigens tagged with a luciferase reporter. Here we describe LIPS assays for the quantification of autoantibodies to the H+, K+-ATPase A (ATP4A) and B (ATP4B) subunits, two serological markers of autoimmune atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia. In particular, we will describe the expression of luciferase-tagged recombinant ATP4A and ATP4B, their immunoprecipitation with test sera, the recovery and washing of immune-complexes with a protein-A coated resin, and the quantification of autoantibodies by addition of a luciferase substrate and the measurement of the light output from captured luciferase-tagged antigens. Read More

Cureus 2018 Sep 14;10(9):e3306. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

Medicine, Xavier University School of Medicine, Oranjestad, ABW.

Pernicious anemia (also known as Biermer's disease) is an autoimmune atrophic gastritis which predominantly affects the fundus of the stomach. It results in a deficiency of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) as it affects the normal process of absorption in the ileum. The pernicious anemia is characterized by a wide range of hematological and neurological features. Read More

Eur J Endocrinol 2019 Feb;180(2):135-144

Department of Internal Medicine, Section Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Introduction The association between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other auto-immune diseases is well known. However, a quantitative overview of all associated auto-immune diseases and their prevalence in T1D is lacking. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Cochrane library in September 2018 to identify relevant articles about the prevalence of the following associated auto-immune diseases in T1D cohorts: auto-immune thyroid disease, celiac disease, gastric autoimmunity including pernicious anemia, vitiligo and adrenal gland insufficiency. Read More

Front Microbiol 2018 16;9:2780. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China.

Cobalamin deficiency is believed to be related to disturbances in cell division, neuropathy, nervous system disease and pernicious anemia. Elderly people are usually advised to supplement their diets with cobalamin. As cobalamin has several forms, the effects of different forms of cobalamin on gut microbiota were investigated in this study. Read More

Med Clin (Barc) 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Servicio de Hematología, Hospital Universitario «Dr. José E. González», Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.

J Nutr 2018 Dec;148(suppl_4):1995S-2027S

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD.

This report on vitamin B-12 (B12) is part of the Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) Project, which provides state-of-the art information and advice on the selection, use, and interpretation of biomarkers of nutrient exposure, status, and function. As with the other 5 reports in this series, which focused on iodine, folate, zinc, iron, and vitamin A, this B12 report was developed with the assistance of an expert panel (BOND B12 EP) and other experts who provided information during a consultation. The experts reviewed the existing literature in depth in order to consolidate existing relevant information on the biology of B12, including known and possible effects of insufficiency, and available and potential biomarkers of status. Read More

IEEE/ACM Trans Comput Biol Bioinform 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) perform a very important function in many cellular processes, including signal transduction, post-translational modifications, apoptosis, and cell growth. Deregulation of PPIs results in many diseases, including cancer and pernicious anemia. Although many high-throughput methods have been applied to generate a large amount of PPIs data, they are generally expensive, inefficient and labor-intensive. Read More

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2019 Mar;41(2):137

Children's Haematology and Cancer Centre, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.

Macropolycytes are tetraploid neutrophils produced during accelerated myelopoiesis. They have been reported in adults with pernicious anemia, sepsis, and after cytotoxic chemotherapy. Two pediatric cases are reported, one after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment and the other following Kawasaki disease, respectively. Read More

Diabetes Care 2019 01 25;42(1):32-38. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Objective: Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is associated with other autoimmune diseases (AIDs), which may have serious health consequences. The epidemiology of AIDs in T1DM is not well defined in adults with T1DM. In this cross-sectional cohort study, we sought to characterize the incident ages and prevalence of AIDs in adults with T1DM across a wide age spectrum. Read More

J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 2018 ;37(3):241-259

Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal, and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Chronic atrophic gastritis is a generally asymptomatic condition of great importance because it develops into gastric cancer in a number of patients. It is described as an atrophy of the gastric mucosa. There are two types of atrophic gastritis: a gastric body predominant type in patients with infection of Helicobacter pylori, and an autoimmune type, limited to the gastric body and fundus. Read More

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2018 Oct 4. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

"Mario Aresu" Department of Medical Science, Section of Dermatology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.

Scleredema adultorum of Buschke is a rare fibromucinous, scleroderma-like connective tissue disease most commonly found in a post-infectious setting or linked to hematological disorders or diabetes. Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus is an autoimmune condition only in 2.5% of cases localized exclusively at an extragenital site, occurring in up to 34% of patients in association with other autoimmune diseases such as vitiligo, thyroid disorders, alopecia areata, lichen planus, morphea, pernicious anemia and systemic lupus erythematosus. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Sep;97(39):e12547

Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.

Rationale: Pernicious anemia (PA) is an autoimmune gastritis that results from the destruction of gastric parietal cells and the associated lack of an intrinsic factor to bind ingested vitamin B12. While an association between PA and various liver diseases has been rarely reported, reports of associated diseases include primary biliary cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and Interferon-treated hepatitis C. We present 2 cases of PA associated with cryptogenic cirrhosis (CC), which has not been previously reported in the literature. Read More

Yale J Biol Med 2018 09 21;91(3):243-246. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Section of General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Vitamin B-12 deficiency, most commonly due to pernicious anemia, can cause intramedullary hemolysis. The pathogenesis is thought to be due to increased membrane rigidity and reduced red blood cell elasticity, which predisposes the patient to hemolysis and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. In this article, we discuss a Russian engineer who worked aboard a petroleum tanker that presented from his ship with profound B-12 deficiency, microangiopathic anemia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels, low haptoglobin, and reticulocyte count in the setting of normal renal and neurologic function. Read More

J Blood Med 2018 4;9:141-144. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Internal Medicine Department, Doctor Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,

Vitamin B is essential for proper neurological functioning, and its deficiency may cause a wide range of neuropsychiatric and hematological manifestations. We report a case of a previously healthy 32-year-old female who was admitted to our hospital with sudden onset of bilateral lower limb paraparesis and loss of sensation. The serum level of vitamin B was mildly decreased with high methylmalonic acid and homocysteine levels. Read More

J Psychosom Res 2018 Oct 9;113:72-73. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

Cardiff Metropolitan University, Department of Applied Psychology, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018 08 20;15(8). Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common examples of postnatal morbidity, but the subsequent risks of autoimmune diseases in patients with PPD have yet to be fully investigated. This nationwide population-based study utilized data of the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan for the period from 1996 to 2013. In total, 45,451 women with primiparity were identified. Read More

Biol Psychiatry 2019 Jan 28;85(1):35-48. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Department of Psychological Medicine, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Maudsley Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

Background: A relationship between non-neurological autoimmune (NNAI) disorders and psychosis has been widely reported but not yet subjected to meta-analysis. We conducted the first meta-analysis examining the association between NNAI disorders and psychosis and investigated the effect of 1) temporality (as determined by study design), 2) psychiatric diagnosis, and 3) specific autoimmune disorders.

Methods: Major databases were searched for articles published until April 2018; 31 studies, comprising data for >25 million individuals, were eligible. Read More

Orv Hetil 2018 Aug;159(33):1368-1371

Hematológiai Osztály, Somogy Megyei Kaposi Mór Oktató Kórház Kaposvár, Tallián Gy. u. 20-34., 7400.

The bone marrow aspiration, which was done in a leukopenic, hypochromic, microcytic, progressive anemic, thalassemic patient, revealed megaloblastic morphology. The low level of vitamin B and the reticulocytosis following the B supportation strenghtened the diagnosis of pernicious anemia. The set of the right diagnosis has been delayed by the fact that even in severe anemia one could not obtain the typical signs of B deficiency, having a hypochromic, microcytic erythrocyte morphology, due to the thalassemia minor disorder. Read More

J Formos Med Assoc 2018 Dec 4;117(12):1065-1071. Epub 2018 Aug 4.

Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background/purpose: Atrophic glossitis (AG) patients are prone to have anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity. This study evaluated whether 1064 AG patients had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity than 532 healthy control subjects.

Methods: The complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and serum GPCA levels in 1064 AG patients and 532 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Read More

Hematol Transfus Cell Ther 2018 Jan-Mar;40(1):79-81. Epub 2018 Feb 17.

Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2018 Jul 19. Epub 2018 Jul 19.

Departments of Pediatrics.

Vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency in infancy can present with nonspecific symptoms. We report a 5-month old exclusively breastfed full-term infant with emesis, lethargy, progressive pancytopenia, hemolysis, hypofibrinogenemia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and a hypercellular bone marrow with dyserythropoiesis. The B12 level in the serum was undetectable. Read More

JAMA 2018 Jul;320(2):197-198

Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Rinsho Ketsueki 2018 ;59(6):675-681

Department of Hematology, Nagano Red Cross Hospital.

An 81-year-old woman presented to our hospital with anemia. Complete blood counts revealed macrocytic anemia; however, serum vitamin B12 and folate levels were normal. Bone marrow aspiration revealed multilineage dysplasia, and the patient was initially diagnosed with refractory cytopenia and multilineage dysplasia subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome. Read More

Clin Biochem 2018 Sep 27;59:90-92. Epub 2018 Jun 27.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, United States; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States. Electronic address:

Objective: The case report details an unusual presentation of a teenage patient with hypophosphatasia.

Patient And Methods: A 17 year-old female patient presented to endocrinology for the evaluation of fatigue and possible adrenal insufficiency. In the course of her clinical evaluation she was noted to have a low serum alkaline phosphatase activity. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2018 06 15;18(1):191. Epub 2018 Jun 15.

Gastroenterology Department, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

Background: Autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis is a chronic progressive inflammatory condition. The clinical spectrum includes pernicious anemia, atrophic gastritis, antibodies to parietal cell antigens and intrinsic factor, achlorhydria, hypergastrinemia and carcinoma. It is rare in paediatric cohorts. Read More

Dig Liver Dis 2018 08 24;50(8):780-786. Epub 2018 May 24.

Medical-Surgical Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

Background: Pernicious anaemia (PA) is associated with increased gastric cancer risk, but the evidence is conflicting regarding the associated risk of other cancers.

Aim: To systematically determine the incidence rates of gastro-intestinal cancers other than gastric cancers (GI-other-than-GC) and non-gastrointestinal cancers (non-GIC) in PA adults, globally and per tumour site, and the risk associated with PA for GI-other than GC and non-GIC.

Methods: Studies of PA patients reporting the incidence of GI-other-than-GCs and non-GICs were identified with MEDLINE (PubMed)-EMBASE (from first date available to April 2017). Read More

Indian J Nephrol 2018 Mar-Apr;28(2):127-134

Department of General Medicine, MVJ Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a recently recognized complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in end-stage renal disease. It has prevalence estimates of 30%-50% and is an independent predictor of increased mortality in CKD patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of PH in patients with CKD, its severity in different stages of CKD, and risk factors for it. Read More

Int J Dermatol 2018 Oct 28;57(10):1157-1164. Epub 2018 May 28.

Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Vitiligo is a common skin disorder characterized by idiopathic, progressive cutaneous hypomelanosis. Vitiligo is associated with several comorbid autoimmune, systemic, and dermatological diseases, primarily thyroid disease, alopecia areata, diabetes mellitus, pernicious anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Addison's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Sjögren's syndrome, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, ocular and audiological abnormalities, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis. It is essential to increase awareness of these comorbidities in order to improve the disease burden and quality of life of patients with vitiligo. Read More

Z Gerontol Geriatr 2018 Jun 23;51(4):446-452. Epub 2018 May 23.

Klinik für Geriatrie, Alexianer Krefeld GmbH und Klinik für Geriatrische Rehabilitation, Alexianer Tönisvorst GmbH, Tönisvorst, Deutschland.

The interdisciplinary symposium of the working group "anemia in the aged" on the occasion of the annual conference of the German Society of Geriatrics focused this year on vitamin B deficiency in aged patients. Experts from hematopathology, clinical geriatrics and geriatric hematology presented the case of a 78-year-old woman and an interdisciplinary discussion was held on the epidemiology, clinical aspects as well as diagnostic and therapeutic steps. This article reviews the symposium on vitamin B deficiency in the aged in the context of the currently available literature. Read More

Can J Neurol Sci 2018 05;45(3):334-335

1Department of Medicine (Neurology),University of Alberta,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada.

Per Med 2018 05 10;15(3):163-165. Epub 2018 May 10.

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Hematology-Oncology, Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Saint Joseph University,  Beirut, Lebanon.

A sustained increase of cancer antigen 15-3 serum levels was found in a 54-year-old woman treated 2 years ago for early stage breast cancer, without any evidence of cancer recurrence. The patient thereafter developed severe megaloblastic anemia secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency. Supplementation with B12 to reverse the anemia led to the normalization of the cancer antigen 15-3 serum levels. Read More

Int J Lab Hematol 2018 May;40 Suppl 1:83-88

Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Missouri Health, Columbia, MO, USA.

The objective of this review article is to address the most frequently asked questions that pathologists and primary care physicians might face when dealing with a patient with suspicion of vitamin B12 deficiency. More specifically, the article mainly discusses the importance and prevalence of the deficit, how to recognize it, and the important role of a prompt diagnosis confirmation based on laboratory biomarkers for efficient replacement therapy. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2018 23;5:114. Epub 2018 Apr 23.

Area of Immunology, Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.

Introduction: Impaired high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and antioxidant functionality of HDL, mainly attributed to a decreased paraoxonase-1 (PON1) functionality, have been described in autoimmune conditions. In this setting, a role for humoral response in cardiovascular disease is emerging. This study evaluates the role of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against HDL and disease-related autoantibodies on HDL dysfunction in immune-driven diseases. Read More

Clin Lab 2018 Apr;64(4):639-643

Background: Hemolytic features in patients with pernicious anemia have not been emphasized.

Methods: Seven Japanese patients at 60 - 88 years of age with vitamin B12 deficiency-related hemolytic anemia were assessed.

Results: Serum vitamin B12 levels in these cases were 46 - 89 pg/mL (normal reference range: 233 - 914 pg/mL). Read More

Oncol Lett 2018 May 2;15(5):6094-6106. Epub 2018 Mar 2.

Laboratory Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226000, P.R. China.

Multiple myeloma (MM), accounting for ~1% of all types of human cancer and 13% of all hematological malignancies, is characterized by the malignant proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells (PCs) in the bone marrow. MM leads to end stage organ impairment, including bone lesions, renal dysfunction, hypercalcemia and anemia. So far, the specific pathogenesis of MM remains unclear and no early-stage sensitive biomarker of MM has been well characterized. Read More

J Formos Med Assoc 2018 Oct 30;117(10):932-938. Epub 2018 Apr 30.

Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background/purpose: Behcet's disease (BD) patients may have one or more hematinic deficiencies. This study evaluated whether there were significantly higher frequencies of hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies and of hyperhomocysteinemia in BD patients.

Methods: The blood hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine concentrations in 63 BD patients were measured and compared with the corresponding levels in 126 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Read More

Biosens Bioelectron 2018 Jul 26;110:155-159. Epub 2018 Mar 26.

Sookmyung Women's University, Department of Chemistry, Seoul 04310, South Korea. Electronic address:

Blood tests (e.g., red blood cell (RBC) count) are crucial for detecting, diagnosing, and monitoring the progression of blood disorders. Read More

Post Reprod Health 2018 03;24(1):50-52

GP Specialist in Women's Health, Cornwall, UK.

Adv Food Nutr Res 2018;83:215-279. Epub 2018 Feb 2.

Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

The biosynthesis of B, involving up to 30 different enzyme-mediated steps, only occurs in bacteria. Thus, most eukaryotes require an external source of B, and yet the vitamin appears to have only two functions in eukaryotes: as a cofactor for the enzymes methionine synthase and methylmalonylCoA mutase. These two functions are crucial for normal health in humans, and in particular, the formation of methionine is essential for providing methyl groups for over 100 methylation processes. Read More

Transfus Apher Sci 2018 Feb 11;57(1):102-106. Epub 2018 Jan 11.

Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA 92868, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA 92868, USA. Electronic address:

Introduction: Cobalamin deficiency may result in hematologic characteristics similar to thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). To facilitate diagnosis, we reviewed reported cases of acquired cobalamin deficiency presenting with TMA features (c.def-TMA). Read More