Elevated Levels of Vitamin B12 in Gastro Intestinal, Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Malignancies

Ravi Shankar B, Shruti Sagar B, Kiran Kumar J, Madhavi Devalaraju, Vamsi Krishna Bodireddy, Madhusudhan E, Sayeeda Asma Sultana, Devasree C. Srinivasulu, Jangeer Bee

Abstract: Background: Vitamin B12 is an organic compound essential for DNA synthesis, DNA methylation and mitochondrial metabolism. Deficiency states are common. Increased levels of B12 are rare but may be seen in certain conditions like chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, certain inflammatory conditions, myeloproliferative diseases and solid organ cancers. Aim: To assess the frequency of elevated serum B12 in various GI hepatobiliary and pancreatic malignancies. Methods and Materials: One hundred patients with cancer and one hundred controls were assayed for serum B12. Test procedure was performed with CLIA VITROS integrated system. Subjects who were administered oral & parenteral B12 in past 3 months were excluded from study. Based on serum B12, subjects were divided into 2 groups (less than 1000 pg/ml and more than 1000 pg/ml). Statistical Analysis: Chi square test, one way ANOVA and software SPSS version 23 was used. Confidence interval was 95% and p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: In this study, out of the 200 subjects, 100 subjects were known cases of cancers involving Gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, hepatobiliary tract and also included cancers like malignant ascites and liver metastasis (test group). The remaining 100 subjects were enrolled from master health check up that included assay of serum vitamin B12 (control group). The age and gender were matched between the test and control groups. In both the control and test groups, 58% constituted male and rest were women. Only 11% of the control group and 48% of the malignancy group had elevated serum B12 levels above 1000 pg/ml; similarly, 52% of the test group and 89% of the control group had B12 levels below 1000 pg/ml (p value < 0.0001). This statistical significance demonstrates that almost 50% of individuals with gastrointestinal cancers have higher serum B12 levels. Hepatobiliary (6%), pancreatic (11%), gastrointestinal (69%) (stomach, colon, small intestine), and other cancers were among those examined. Serum B12 levels ranged from 1023 ± 14.06 to 1154 ± 141.6 in different malignancy groups, with a peak of 2003 pg/mL in GI malignancies. Conclusion: Our study showed elevated serum vitamin B12 levels in solid tumors of GI tract, liver and pancreas. An elevated serum B12 level might indicate increased cancer risk and the need to screen using diagnostic methods when there is high suspicion of cancer. It is also possible to understand that people with advanced and metastatic cancer may have higher B12 levels and a worse prognosis.

Keywords: Hypervitaminosis, Cancer, Methylcobalamin, Pernicious anemia, Neuropathy, Intrinsic factor

How to Cite?: Ravi Shankar B, Shruti Sagar B, Kiran Kumar J, Madhavi Devalaraju, Vamsi Krishna Bodireddy, Madhusudhan E, Sayeeda Asma Sultana, Devasree C. Srinivasulu, Jangeer Bee, "Elevated Levels of Vitamin B12 in Gastro Intestinal, Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Malignancies", Volume 14 Issue 12, December 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 571-574, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR251128150318, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR251128150318