The physiological effect of vitamin B12 deficiency in human blood

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The main aim of this workpiece was to establish the physiological parameters against which a vitaminBu deficiency could be measured. A comparison between the hematological values of healthy patients andthose suffering from pernicious anemia due to vitamin Bu deficiency was done. A specific case ofpernicious anemia was used in the comparison of abnormal values to the values of normal healthy patients.The comparison consisted of blood analyses with the help of specified instruments, photomicrographs ofbone marrow and blood smears and statistical data. A Coulter Counter Model ZF was used for thehematological analyses of blood, a radio-isotope assay for serum vitamin B u was done andphotomicrographs were taken with a NIKON Microflex camera with photomicrographic attachments.The importance of vitamin Bu has been shown in this workpiece. With the use of techniques and certaininstruments, the effects of a shortage of vitamin Bu has been shown. Analyses of the blood from normal,healthy patients was compared to that of patients suffering from pernicious anemia.It was demonstrated that pernicious anemia is characterized by a low erythrocyte count, hematocrit (Het),hemoglobin (Hb) and vitamin Bu levels together with a higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) andmean corpuscular volume (MCV). In severe cases of pernicious anemia these levels are extremely high orlow as the case may be. Together with these values, the investigation of pernicious anemic blood and bonemarrow smears revealed abnormally large erythrocyte precursors and fewer leucocytes than normal.Abnormally shaped cells, called macrocytes, were seen which was due to the disruption in deoxyribonucleicacid (DNA) synthesis caused by the vitamin Bu deficiency.This study produced a set of hematological reference values. The comparative study between healthy andpernicious anemic patients demonstrated a significant drop in serum vitamin B12 values during perniciousanemia. The hematological effect was illustrated by the Coulter Counter blood analysis results and themicroscopic examination revealed the presence of megaloblastic erythrocytes, oval erythrocytes,pear-shaped poikilocytes and polymorphonuclear neutropbils with hypersegmented nuclei in blood smearsIduring vitamin B12 deficiency. This dianoses can be supported by the presence of megaloblasts andmetamyelocytes in pernicious anemic bone marrow.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University