Thesis (M Med (Chemical Pathology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012. / Abstract
Aim: This study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of
total vitamin B 12 analyses to active B 12 (holoTC) analyses in a population of patients
attending the Dr George Mukhari Hospital in Pretoria.
Methods: Routine serum folate, full blood count (FBC), thyroid function test,
homocysteine, serum total vitamin B 12 and active B 12 analyses were performed on 30
samples.
Results: Serum folate was determined in all patients and 96% of the patients had a
normal folate value. When looking at the FBC results it is important to note that three
times as many males as females presented with anemia (36% versus 16%). Thyroid
function tests were normal in 90% of patients. When the total vitamin B 12 test was
preformed only 10% of patients tested positive for vitamin B 12 deficiency, in contrast to
the active B12 analyses where 16% of patients tested positive for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Both tests had a diagnostic sensitivity of 50%. The diagnostic specificity for total vitamin
B12 was 93% in comparison with the 86% obtained by the active B12 analyses; when
homocysteine was used as the true marker for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Conclusion: Diagnostic sensitivity was the same and the total vitamin B12 test's
specificity was better in comparison to the active B 12 analyses. Thus the active B 12
assay cannot be recommended for routine use, since it has no benefit.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ul/oai:ulspace.ul.ac.za:10386/774 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Murray, Louise M. |
| Contributors | Joubert, H. F., de Jongh, M. |
| Publisher | University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus) |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 6.0 |
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