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Screening for Cobalamin Deficiency
Eric J Norman, PhD
Norman Clinical Laboratory, Ine Cincinnati, Ohio
Arch Fam Med. 1995;4(4):304-305.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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Yao et al1 are to be commended for their efforts to detect early cobalamin (Cbl) deficiency. It is estimated that disorders of the'nervous system will develop in 80% to 90% of untreated Cbl-deficient patients.2 There appears to be a time window..of less than 1 year for effective treatment of Cbl-deficient individuals with cognitive dysfunction and/or spinal corddegeneration.2,3 Early detection and treatment will prevent neurologic disability as well as needless expense. For example, caring for an individual with Alzheimer's disease may costover $213 000, in addition to other medical expenses.4
However, screening is better accomplished using the urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA) test by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This assay requires only a random spot urine specimen and identifies functional tissue Cbl deficiency. The urinary MMA test by GC-MS is preferred over other Cbl testing procedures for reasons of noninvasiveness, practicality, and sensitivity.5
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
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