A longitudinal study of serum cobalamins and its binding proteins in lactating women.
Morkbak AL, Ramlau-Hansen CH, Moller UK, Henriksen TB, Moller J, Nexo E

Objective:To examine longitudinal changes in serum cobalamins, transcobalamin (TC) and haptocorrin (HC) during lactation and to investigate the influence of vitamin B(12) supplementation on these parameters.Design:A 9-month follow-up study.Subjects and methods:Lactating mothers (N=89) including 23 supplemented with vitamin B(12) (1-18 mug/daily), 41 partly supplemented and 25 not supplemented. Blood samples collected 3 weeks (baseline) and 4 and 9 months post-partum were analysed for cobalamins, TC and HC. Both the total concentration and the cobalamin-saturated form (holo) of TC and HC were analysed.Results:No significant differences were observed in serum cobalamins or its binding proteins related to supplementation with vitamin B(12) or the duration of lactation. Serum cobalamins remained unchanged from 3 weeks to 9 months post-partum. Total TC (holoTC) (median+/-s.e. pmol/l) decreased between 3 weeks (710+/-23 (85+/-12)) and 9 months (602+/-21 (76+/-11)) (P<0.0001 (P=0.0002)), whereas total HC (holoHC) increased from (422+/-11 (300+/-9)) at 4 months to (455+/-13 (317+/-10)) to 9 months post-partum (P<0.0001 (P<0.0001)).Conclusion:We report a decrease in TC and an increase in HC during a 9-month period post-partum. No differences were observed between the vitamin B(12)-supplemented and the unsupplemented groups. Thus, supplementation with vitamin B(12) has no impact on the circulating level of serum cobalamins or its binding proteins in a Danish population of lactating mothers.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 9 August 2006; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602502.

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