Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin that your body uses together with other B vitamins and plays a vital role in supplying methyl for protein and DNA synthesis, MayoClinic.com notes. Adults typically need about 2.4 mcg of vitamin B-12 daily. Your body stores vitamin B-12 in your liver, making vitamin B-12 deficiency rare. The impaired ability to absorb vitamin B-12 often causes deficiency. Severe vitamin B-12 deficiency has been associated with spleen conditions, according to a study featured in a 2008 issue of the "European Journal of Haematology."
Vitamin B-12 Anemia
Vitamin B-12 deficiency sometimes causes anemia. This is a condition where your body has insufficient levels of healthy red blood cells, compromising your body's ability to remain properly oxygenated. Symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia are diarrhea, fatigue and appetite loss, Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, says. Other symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia are depression and confusion. Anemia also damages your nerves. Neural damage is generally permanent if not treated after six months.
Splenomegaly
Your spleen is part of your lymph system and is helps filter your blood as well as keep your blood cells healthy. Conditions that affect your blood or lymph system at times affect your spleen. Splenomegaly is a condition where your spleen swells to a larger-than-normal size. Symptoms of splenomegaly include impaired ability to eat large meals, pain in your upper left abdominal area and hiccups.
Vitamin B-12 Deficiency, Spleen Function and cGKI Deficiency
A study published in a 2008 issue of the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America" found that mice that were cGKI-deficient exhibited vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia and splenomegaly by the age of 10 weeks. Although the spleens of cGKI mice were enlarged and had lower levels of functioning red blood cells than normal mice. This means that cGKI mice are more susceptible to eryptosis that causes the accumulation of apoptotic cells in your spleen. This accumulation causes the enlargement of your spleen as well as anemia. The cGKI mice also suffered from vitamin B-12 deficiency due to compromised intestinal motility.
Diagnosis Vitamin B-12 Deficiency via Splenomegaly
The "European Journal of Haematology" published a study in its 2008 issue that found that vitamin B-12 deficiency cause the spleen of a vitamin B-12 deficient female to enlarge. The study also found that vitamin B-12 induces leukoerythroblastosis and severe pancytopenia. The enlarged spleen also circulated immature myeloid cells in addition to nucleated red blood cells. The study suggests the use of splenomegaly as a means of diagnosis vitamin B-12 deficiency.
References
- "European Journal of Haematology"; Severe Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Resulting in Pancytopenia, Splenomegaly and Leukoerythroblastosis; Halfdanarson T.R., et al.; May 2008
- Mayo Clinic; Vitamin B-12; August 2011
- Medline Plus; Anemia -- B-12 Deficiency; Yi-Bin Chen; January 2010
- "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America"; Anemia and Splenomegaly in cGKI-Deficient Mice; Michael Foller, et al.; May 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Splenomegaly; David C. Dugdale; October 2008
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