Hypercobalaminemia (high serum vitamin B12 levels) is a frequent and underestimated anomaly. This part of the small intestine is where vitamin B 12 is absorbed. These disease states result in an increased production of white blood cells including Granulocytes. Allergic reactions cause the gastric and intestinal linings to become . This combination of factors increases chronic inflammation and the risk of heart disease and diabetes []. Fallahi P, et al. Thyroid hormone needs vitamins A and D to work at the cellular level. Pernicious anemia is thought to be an autoimmune disease. Homocysteine is a naturally-occurring amino acid found in blood plasma. But, my b12 levels was elevated. Elevated B12 has been associated with various diseases 1,5,6: liver diseases 7,8,9,10, myeloid blood malignancies 10,11,12,13, chronic renal failure 3,14, autoimmune or inflammatory diseases 3 . Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that leads to a generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). Elevated levels of B12 and/or folate, may also indicate undermethylation issues, which will cause B12 or folate to accumulate in the serum, by not converting into their active methylated forms. There are many types of autoimmune diseases including Type 1 Diabetes, Alopecia, Multiple Sclerosis, Vitiligo, Psoriatic Arthritis and Graves' Disease. Treatment. Consequences include atrophic gastritis, B12 malabsorption, and, frequently, pernicious anemia. Twice this year I've had elevated B12, most recent 1834 ph/ml. According to WebMD, potential but unlikely side effects of B12 injections include muscle cramps, weakness and irregular heartbeat. Risk of gastric adenocarcinoma increases 3-fold. I've googled and found out that elevated b12 levels can be a sign of leukemia, liver or kidney disease. or . Vitamin B12 Deficiency Due to Autoimmune Gastritis The symptoms of pernicious anemia occur because it leads to a deficiency in vitamin B12 (also known as "cobalamin"). This can lower your risk of anaemia, RBC issues, autoimmune problems, GI conditions, etc. In an autoimmune disease such as pernicious anemia, the body's immune system stops distinguishing between diseased and healthy tissue. Increased levels of transcobalamin, which is a transporter of B12 in the bloodstream. Harvard Health Publications: "Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Vegetarians, elderly may not get enough vitamin B12, says the Harvard Health Letter." National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: "Pernicious . Autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, . We report the presentation, diagnosis and gastric complications of PA in patients from an endocrinology practice.Methods: Thirty-four . The level of this vitamin needs to be optimal. Complications. I should note here that most people get enough B12 through diet alone, unless they follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, as B12 is only available via animal products. Some patients are asymptomatic. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. This type of B 12 deficiency anemia is called pernicious anemia. I would suggest you identify one - on your own or through your internist. All symptoms are caused by low levels of iron, vitamin B12, folate (vitamin B9), and other nutrients (12). In contrast, in 364 Saudi subjects, high serum vitamin B12 levels were associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines , while high levels of dietary folate were shown to negatively affect immune health in human subjects . According to Dr. Wright's research, people with autoimmune disease tend to have low stomach acid, poor digestion, and multiple food allergies. . Vitamin B12 deficiency is characterized by abnormally low levels of circulating B12 due to a poor diet . It is important to note that IgM deficiency is also seen commonly in DOCK8 deficiency, typically in association with normal IgG and elevated IgE. The association of other autoimmune diseases in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis: review of the literature and report of a large series of patients, 2016. One in the 1800s and one 1700s. Low mood or personality/mood changes. Summary. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause both the demyelination of the cervical, dorsal and lateral columns of the spinal cord, and the demyelination of white matter in the brain. ; Mood disorders: Long-term pain and fatigue, which are symptoms of many autoimmune diseases, are often associated with depression and anxiety. Symptoms of B12 deficiency include: Fatigue. It is needed to absorb vitamin B 12. Therefore, hypercobalaminemia (high serum B12 levels) may be a warning sign of some serious underlying pathology: They play a central role in autoimmune disease, allergic reactions, asthma, and tumor immunity. Log in or sign up to leave a comment. Read this article in Spanish. This is because the injection can cause blood levels of the mineral potassium to decrease. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a non-contagious, chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease in which one's own immune system attacks healthy, normal liver cells. A person may lack B12, folate, . Good luck! One key lab value that confirms this . Autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis is an inherited autoimmune disease that attacks parietal cells, resulting in hypochlorhydria and decreased production of intrinsic factor. (due to lack of vitamin B12) or painless white patches on the skin known as vitiligo. Conclusions: In patients with repeatedly high B12 levels, ICs were detected in approximately 25% of samples. A high level of vitamin B12 in the blood, also called cobalamin, is not common and may be seen in liver or kidney disorders, autoimmune myeloproliferative syndromes and in some types of hematologic neoplasms such as leukemia. Reference: MedGen Data Downloads and FTP. Intrinsic factor is a protein made in the stomach. Good luck! . This type of B 12 deficiency anemia is called pernicious anemia. Vitamin B12 and other B vitamins are involved in homocysteine metabolism, and researchers have hypothesized that supplementation with these micronutrients can reduce CVD risk by lowering homocysteine levels [72,73].] 2) Obesity. Treatments. That being said, I'm not sure which lab your doctor uses, but I get my B12 checked frequently for Pernicia anemia (low B12) and the test have always said that normal is 200-1100, so you are only slightly elevated. Vitamin B12 blood values are usually given in pg/ml but sometimes you can see these values in pmol/l following the . Autoimmune disorders are caused when the body's natural defenses (e.g., antibodies) against "foreign" or invading organisms begin to attack healthy tissue for unknown reasons. I am interested in anyone's experience with this. Vitamin B12 is important for many different chemical reactions in the body. The exact function of this HC-bound vitamin B 12 is unknown (holo-HC), but it is believed to be biologically unavailable to most cells. Finally we were onto something. 11 Higher vitamin B12 levels in acute HF have been attributed to liver congestion and liver function abnormalities. This is because the injection can cause blood levels of the mineral potassium to decrease. I would suggest you identify one - on your own or through your internist. The Human Phenotype Ontology in 2021, Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 49, Issue D1, 8 January 2021, Pages D1207-D1217. How is vitamin B12-deficiency anemia treated? Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition that happens when your immune system produces antibodies that attack cells in the mucosal lining of your stomach and nerve cells. Treatments. This study was designed to investigate the vitamin D (vit-D) and vitamin B12 (vit-B12) levels and their correlation with anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies in patients with autoimmune hypothyroidism. I would agree that diet is a huge contributing factor, but you may simply have an unidentified food sensitivity that is behind all of this. The normal clinical range for B12 is 180-914 (though 150-400 is considered borderline). These are disease of the bone marrow where the white blood cells come from. Of these patients, 10/26 (38%) had elevated ferritin levels secondary to liver disease, 7/26 (27%) malignancy/infection, 6/26 (23%) malignancy alone, 1/26 (4%) autoimmune disease, and 1/26 (4% . . New to blood cancer, I am working with a hematologist-oncologist, who has an extraordinary range of skills. Inflammatory or autoimmune diseases Inflammatory and/or autoimmune diseases like lupus may also cause the vitamin B12 levels in your blood to be persistently elevated. A 5 mol/L increment in total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) has been associated with a 49% increase in all-cause of mortality among individuals 65-72 years of age (9). Low mood or personality/mood changes. Hematologic (or blood) cancers: acute leukemia, multiple myeloma. I too have had two B12 labs done. Only a few patients with these diseases have high Cbl levels ( 19 ). Homocysteine is an amino acid and a breakdown product of protein metabolism that increases the risk of heart disease and stroke when present in high concentrations. How is vitamin B12-deficiency anemia treated? Ensuring adequate B12 through diet Improving your dietary intake of B12 is a long-term solution to lower levels, as the body can absorb the vitamin through food. Further, patients with autoimmune thyroid disease have a high prevalence of B12 deficiency and particularly of pernicious anemia. Serum B 12 is bound to both transcobalamin (TC) and haptocorrin (HC). The antibodies also block a critical protein called intrinsic (in-TRIN-sic) factor. They are increasingly effective for low B12 levels, and can help improve B12 within a few weeks. . 12,13 . Intrinsic factor is a protein made in the stomach. When your own immune system attacks and destroys healthy cells and tissues of your organs, then your overall organ systems would no longer function normally. Additionally, an increase in serum vitamin B12 can indicate lymphoproliferation in the form of ALPS caused by mutations in the FAS gene (ALPS-FAS). Doctors may perform additional blood tests to help diagnose ALPS. It is needed to absorb vitamin B 12. Results: Twenty six patients with ferritin levels between 10,000-15,000 ng/ml were identified. Homocysteine & The Brain Homocysteine levels above 7 UMOL/L have been shown to damage the protective blood-brain barrier (leaky brain syndrome), and are linked to autoimmune spectrum diseases like Alzheimer's. As noted Granulocytes have an affinity for producing the TCN 1 and TCN3 and not so much of the TCN 2. In fact, gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease is probably The most common reason to have decreased vitamin B12 levels, but again, . People with obesity also often have high "bad" LDL cholesterol and low "good" HDL cholesterol, which burdens blood vessels. High levels of homocysteine in the blood are believed to increase one's risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis. Clinically, it can be paradoxically accompanied by signs of deficiency, reflecting a functional deficiency linked to qualitative abnormalities, which are related to defects in tissue uptake and action of vitamin B12. One in the 1800s and one 1700s. Objective: Pernicious anemia (PA) develops from atrophic gastritis due to autoimmune destruction of parietal cells and results in achlorhydria, vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies, anemia, neurologic deficits, and premalignant and malignant stomach lesions. . Kidney disease due to impaired function of the kidneys to excrete excess B12. If elevated, it does not automatically mean you should stop taking all B vitamins. excessive oral intake of vitamin b12 is usually relatively easy to identify in the course of the anamnesis. If TRAb levels remain elevated, the chances of . It was 986 and maximum normal level according to the test should be 650. In addition, studies have shown that ferritin increases with the number of metabolic syndrome components a . Neuropathy: Nerve damage or neuropathy can develop with many autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and Sjgren's syndrome. Therefore, it is reasonable to suspect that this patient's three major diagnoses - B12 deficiency, hypothyroidism, and Cushing's syndrome - may all have a common autoimmune origin. B 12 (Cobalamin) is an essential micronutrient that plays a fundamental role in cell division and one-carbon metabolism. Methods A total of 130 patients diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroidism were included in the study retrospectively. Autoimmune disease. Last medically reviewed on May 25, 2021. 6 comments. Dizziness, anxiety, headache and nausea are potential signs of elevated B12 levels, Mayo Clinic reports. Vitamin B12 level. Elevated ferritin has been associated with all components of metabolic syndrome individually. I'm not supplementing on b12 anymore. The most common co-existing autoimmune disease for patients with Pernicious Anaemia is Hashimoto's . The positive impact of vitamin B12 on the immune system is particularly . Causes. It performs several important functions, including helping with the synthesis of DNA. I too have had two B12 labs done. You may still have the condition even if your vitamin B12 levels are normal. In his book, he talks about how he is surprised when he has a patient with autoimmune disease that does not have low stomach acid! It is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. However, my liver tests were normal. Inflammatory conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus. Hematologic disorders like chronic myelogeneous leukemia, promyelocytic leukemia, polycythemia vera and also the hypereosinophilic syndrome can result in elevated levels of cobalamin. Surgery that removes or bypasses the end of the small intestine. New to blood cancer, I am working with a hematologist-oncologist, who has an extraordinary range of skills. These proteins circulate in blood partly saturated (holo) and partly unsaturated (apo) with B 12 [ 4 ]. Directly tied to high-calorie diets and overeating, obesity is often associated with high triglyceride levels. If your doctor diagnoses you with vitamin B12-deficiency anemia, your treatment will depend on the cause and seriousness of your condition. . You may still have the condition even if your vitamin B12 levels are normal. Elevated plasma Cbl levels have also been associated with several nonmalignant diseases, including liver diseases, alcoholism, and renal, autoimmune, and infectious diseases . The pathophysiology of elevated vitamin B12 in clinical practice. 9,10 It is a marker for liver-cell damage, due to release of the vitamin from damaged liver cells. Elevated levels can occur because the diseased kidneys are not able to properly filter and remove excess vitamin B12 from the . It is important that your levels are high enough. There are variable antibody responses. Neurologic changes, including paresthesias, peripheral neuropathy and combined systems disease such as demyelination (loss of protective outer sheath) of the dorsal columns of the nerve cells . . Also, I was recently tested by my PCP for my general check up and one test came back really high: B12 at 1137 pg/mL and the range it shows that is normal is 211-946 pg/mL. Oftentimes, autoimmunities such as Hashimoto's, Diabetes, etc. Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is an immune disease characterized by lymphoproliferation, accumulation of double-negative T cells (DNT, TCRalpha/beta CD3 CD4 CD8 ), ab- normal.