Vitamin B-12 has the most complex chemical structure of all vitamins, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. It contains a metal ion, cobalt, in its chemical structure. Vitamin B-12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin your body uses to maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells and is used to make healthy DNA. Your body can store up to several years' worth of vitamin B-12, so a deficiency is extremely rare. Because vitamin B-12 is integral to the function of red blood cells, excess or deficiencies can have an impact on the development of blood diseases, such as leukemia.
Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer that begins in the bone marrow and causes the production of a large number of blood cells that enter your bloodstream, resulting in symptoms and eventually death when the cells are not able to perform their normal duties, according to the National Cancer Institute. Leukemia is either chronic or acute, and these groups are further classified based on the type of white blood cell that is affected. The two most common types of leukemia that are diagnosed each year are chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which accounts for 15,000 new cases each year, and acute myeloid leukemia, which accounts for 13,000 new cases each year.
Vitamin B-12 with Leukemia
As early as 1954, researchers recognized that individuals who suffered from leukemia may also have higher levels of serum concentrations of vitamin B-12. In a study published in "Blood," the journal of the American Society of Hematology, researchers found a correlation between high levels of vitamin B-12 and total white cell counts in people who suffered from chronic myeloid leukemia. In a study published in 1984 in the "British Journal of Haematology," researchers demonstrated that individuals who suffered from acute myelogenous leukemia with vitamin B-12 deprivation could have an increased activity of their disease with excessive replacement of the vitamin.
Pernicious Anemia
Pernicious anemia is a medical condition that results from the deprivation of vitamin B-12 from a lack of intrinsic factor in the stomach. This factor is responsible for the absorption of vitamin B-12 from food, states MayoClinic.com. Without intrinsic factor, you will suffer from vitamin B-12 deficiency and resulting anemia. Interestingly, the deficiency of vitamin B-12 will also result in profound alterations in the bone marrow that may mimic acute leukemia. Researchers from Texas Cancer Center published their findings in the "Southern Medical Journal" in 2004, which described the case study of two patients who were suspected to have acute leukemia but with further medical procedures were discovered to have vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Early Warning Signs
According to the National Cancer Institute, risk factors for leukemia include exposure to radiation, smoking, past chemotherapy, exposure to benzene and a family history of leukemia. If you suffer from chronic leukemia, you may have no symptoms at all and the disease could be discovered during a routine blood evaluation. Common symptoms of acute and chronic leukemia include frequent infections, fevers or night sweats, swollen lymph nodes that do not hurt, easy bleeding, weight loss and pain in your bones or joints. More often, these symptoms are the result of another type of infection or health problem, but only your doctor can determine the cause. If you experience these symptoms, seek the advice of your primary care physician to determine the cause.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin B-12
- National Cancer Institute: What is Leukemia
- "Blood"; Serum Concentrations of Vitamin B-12 in Patients Suffering from Leukemia; M.F. Beard, W.R. Pitney and E.H. Sanneman; 1954
- "British Journal of Haematology"; Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia Modulated by B-12 Deficiency: A Case with Bone Marrow Blast Cell Assay Corroboration; F.R. Ahmann, B.G. Durie; 1984
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin B-12
- "Southern Medical Journal"; Pernicious Anemia: Presentations Mimicking Acute Leukemia; C. Aitelli, L. Wasson, R. Page; March 2004
