Prospective evaluation of protein bound vitamin B12 (cobalamin) malabsorption in the elderly using trout flesh labelled in vivo with 57Co-cobalamin
I Aimone-Gastin
a Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pathology
in Nutrition, EP CNRS 0616, Faculté de Médecine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France, b Service de
Médecine B, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, c Laboratory of Biochemistry, Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, d Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, Faculté de
Médecine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy
Correspondence to: Dr I Aimone-Gastin. Accepted for publication 13 June 1997 Background Keywords:
cobalamin deficiency;
malabsorption;
gastritis;
Schilling test
The frequency of dietary protein
bound vitamin B12 malabsorption in elderly patients remains controversial.
AimsTo evaluate this malabsorption in
elderly hospitalised patients using a modified Schilling test.
PatientsFourteen elderly patients with low
B12 blood levels were prospectively selected from 394 hospitalised patients.
MethodsThe modified Schilling test was performed
with trout labelled in vivo.
ResultsThe test was normal in five healthy
elderly subjects, in 7/8 patients with pancreatic insufficiency, and in
nine non-elderly patients with antral gastritis. The low decision limit
was established at 3.3% (median 4.8%). From the 14 elderly patients
with low B12 prospectively selected from 394 hospitalised
patients, seven had a real deficiency with anaemia and an increased
homocysteine and/or methylmalonate serum level. The modified Schilling
test showed malabsorption in five of these patients, including two in
which the standard Schilling test was normal, and three in which the standard Schilling test was partially corrected by an intrinsic factor.
ConclusionsProtein bound vitamin B12
malabsorption was detected in at least 0.5% of elderly hospitalised
patients, using the labelled trout flesh absorption test.
(GUT 1997;41:475-479)
© 1997 by Gut
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
Relevant Article
- Aging and the alimentary tract
- MICHAEL FARTHING and OLIVER JAMES
Gut 1997 41: 421.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Carmel, R.
(2007). The Disappearance of Cobalamin Absorption Testing: A Critical Diagnostic Loss. J. Nutr.
137: 2481-2484
[Full Text] -
Campbell, A. K., Miller, J. W., Green, R., Haan, M. N., Allen, L. H.
(2003). Plasma Vitamin B-12 Concentrations in an Elderly Latino Population Are Predicted by Serum Gastrin Concentrations and Crystalline Vitamin B-12 Intake. J. Nutr.
133: 2770-2776
[Abstract] [Full Text]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me if a correction is posted
- Citation Map
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
