After surveying various internal diseases, especially blood diseases, the following results were obtained concerning Vitamin B
12 concentration in 1 ml of the whole blood and serum observed during the process of these diseases.
(1) The Vitamin B
12 concentration in 1 ml of the whole blood shows higher value than that in 1 ml of the serum.
(2) The average value of Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood of patients with aplastic anemia is about twice the normal. The administration of folic acid or cortisone, in this disease, has no effect on Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood.
(3) Vitamin B
12 concentration is somewhat increased in case of acute type of myeloic leukemia, but the concentration is markedly increased in case of its chronic type.
In case of chronic myeloic leukemia, it seems that there is correlation to some extent between the white blood cell count and Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood, though not absolute. The Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood of erythremia patient is also increased.
(4) In liver diseases, specifically in cirrhosis of the liver, infectious hepatitis, serum hepatitis and in tumor of the liver there are an increase of Vitamin B
12 concentration of the whole blood, though the number of cases were relatively few. Contrary, in each case of liver abscess and cholecystitis, Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood was within normal limit.
(5) In case of iron deficiency anemia, Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood was within normal limit.
(6) In case of thrombocytopenic purpura, Banti's syndrome, benzol-poisoning, hemolytic anemia, cancer of the stomach and in chronic nephritis, Vitamin B
12 concentration in the whole blood was within normal limit.
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