Holotranscobalamin - a sensitive marker of cobalamin malabsorption.
Lindgren A, Kilander A, Bagge E, Nexo E.
Department of Internal Medicine, Boras Central Hospital, Boras, Sweden.

BACKGROUND: No simple and reliable method of identifying patients with cobalamin malabsorption is available at present. The measurement of plasma holotranscobalamin, i.e. the metabolically active cobalamins bound to the transport protein transcobalamin, has been suggested as a means of fulfilling such criteria.

DESIGN: We describe a method that directly quantifies cobalamins attached to transcobalamin. The method is evaluated in patients referred for gastrointestinal examination because of suspected cobalamin malabsorption.

RESULTS: Of the 101 patients referred, all 48 with gastrointestinal conditions compatible with cobalamin malabsorption had plasma holotranscobalamin below 35 pmol L-1 (interval of 35-160pmol L-1). None of the patients with plasma holotranscobalamin above the lower reference limit had conditions compatible with cobalamin malabsorption.

CONCLUSION: The values obtained for plasma holotranscobalamin showed a better correlation with possible malabsorption than the values obtained for plasma cobalamins. The specificity of the test, however, needs to be elucidated further.

« Back to abstracts

News

Coming Soon !  The full video recording of the Euromedlab 2007 Active B12 workshop will be available in the next few weeks, register for your copy.

Live CME Web Conference on vitamin B12 deficiency, Prof. Ralph Green, Dec 13th 2007, register now.

read more »

Meetings

8-11 December, 2007
American Society of Hematology, Atlanta, booth 544
read more »