Cobalamin deficiency can mask depleted body iron reserves

Multiple Infections, Nutrient Deficiencies, and Inflammation as Determinants of Anemia and Iron Status during Pregnancy: The MINDI Cohort

In pregnant women with multiple infections, nutrient deficiencies, and inflammation (MINDI), the study of anemia and iron status is limited. For this cross-sectional study (n = 213 Panamanian indigenous women), we investigated if hemoglobin, anemia (Hb < 110 g/L), ferritin, serum iron, serum transferrin receptor, and hepcidin were associated with (1) maternal nutritional status and supplementation practices, (2) biomarkers of inflammation, and (3) presence/absence of infections. Hierarchical generalized linear and logistic regression models and dominance analyses identified the relative importance of these predictors. Anemia (38%), which was likely underestimated due to low plasma volume (95%), was associated with lower ferritin, vitamin A, and weight-for-height, suggesting anemia of undernutrition. Inflammation was not associated with Hb or anemia; nevertheless, higher CRP was associated with increased odds of low serum iron and higher ferritin and hepcidin, indicating iron restriction due to inflammation. The length of iron supplementation did not enter models for anemia or iron indicators, but a multiple nutrient supplement was associated with higher ferritin and hepcidin. Moreover, iron supplementation was associated with higher odds of vaginal trichomoniasis but lower odds of caries and bacterial vaginosis. The complex pathogenesis of anemia and iron deficiency in MINDI settings may require other interventions beyond iron supplementation.

Iron deficiency in pernicious anemia: Specific features of iron deficient patients and preliminary data on response to iron supplementation

BACKGROUND & AIMS

While vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency is considered as the hallmark of pernicious anemia (PA), iron deficiency (ID) is also prevalent. Indeed, this auto immune gastritis is responsible for parietal cell atrophy and increase in gastric pH, leading to impaired iron absorption. We compared PA patients' features according to their iron status at PA diagnosis, and we assessed the iron status recovery after oral or intravenous iron supplementation.

METHODS

We prospectively included patients presenting with a newly diagnosed PA in a tertiary referral hospital between November 2018 and October 2020. Iron status was assessed at PA diagnosis then regularly during a standardized follow-up. In case of ID, the decision of treatment with oral and/or intravenous iron supplementation was left to the clinician convenience.

RESULTS

We included 28 patients with newly diagnosed PA. ID was observed in 21/28 (75.0%) patients: from the PA diagnosis in 13 patients, or during the follow-up in 8 patients. Iron deficient PA patients had higher plasma B12 (p = 0.04) and lower homocysteine levels (p = 0.04). Also, ID was independently associated with the 'APCA (anti-parietal cell antibodies) alone' immunological status (absence of anti-intrinsic factor antibodies) after adjustment for age, gender and B12 level (aOR 12.1 [1.1-141.8], p = 0.04). High level of APCA was associated with lower ferritin level. After 3 months of supplementation, 3/11 PA patients normalized the iron status with oral iron supplementation, versus 7/8 with intravenous iron supplementation (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

The high frequency of iron deficiency in PA highlights the interest of regular assessment of iron status in this condition. ID was associated with a profile including APCA alone and less pronounced B12 deficiency. Intravenous iron supplementation seemed to be more efficient than an oral supplementation in these preliminary data.

Addition of vitamin B12 to exercise training improves cycle ergometer endurance in advanced COPD patients: A randomized and controlled study

Vitamin B12 is essential in the homocysteine, mitochondrial, muscle and hematopoietic metabolisms, and its effects on exercise tolerance and kinetics adjustments of oxygen consumption (V'O_2p) in rest-to-exercise transition in COPD patients are unknown. This randomized, double-blind, controlled study aimed to verify a possible interaction between vitamin B12 supplementation and these outcomes. After recruiting 69 patients, 35 subjects with moderate-to-severe COPD were eligible and 32 patients concluded the study, divided into four groups (n = 8 for each group): 1. rehabilitation group; 2. rehabilitation plus B12 group; 3. B12 group; and 4. placebo group. The primary endpoint was cycle ergometry endurance before and after 8 weeks and the secondary endpoints were oxygen uptake kinetics parameters (time constant). The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was high (34.4%) and there was a statistically significant interaction (p < 0.05), favoring a global effect of supplementation on exercise tolerance in the supplemented groups compared to the non-supplemented groups, even after adjusting for confounding variables (p < 0.05). The same was not found for the kinetics adjustment variables (τV'O_2p and _MRTV'O_2p, p > 0.05 for both). Supplementation with vitamin B12 appears to lead to discrete positive effects on exercise tolerance in groups of subjects with more advanced COPD and further studies are needed to establish indications for long-term supplementation.