Prevalence of pernicious anemia in patients with macrocytic anemia and low serum B12

OBJECTIVE The current research evaluated the prevalence of pernicious anemia (PA) in patients with macrocytic anemia (high MCV) and low serum B12 in Riyadh. METHODS Blood testing was done in 77 patients (males: 45.5%, females: 54.5%) with macrocytic anemia; 84 patients; (males: 23.8%, females: 76.2%) with low serum B12 and 30 healthy subjects. Complete blood count, differential count, folic acid, vitamin B12, intrinsic factor, gastric parietal cell antibodies and holotranscobalamin II were assessed. RESULTS A total of five subjects from 161 patients had PA; three of these patients had macrocyticanemia (3.90%) and two patients had low serum B12 (2.38%). Significant differences (p<0.05) in some hematological, immunological, biochemical parameters were found in subjects with macrocytic anemia and low serum B12 compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Pernicious anemia in patients with macrocytic anemia and low serum B12 was for the selected sample size can be assumed to be uncommon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.