Clinical Trials Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2018. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2018; 24(12): 1343-1352
Published online Mar 28, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i12.1343
Correlation between serum vitamin B12 level and peripheral neuropathy in atrophic gastritis
Guo-Tao Yang, Hong-Ying Zhao, Yu Kong, Ning-Ning Sun, Ai-Qin Dong
Guo-Tao Yang, Hong-Ying Zhao, Yu Kong, Ning-Ning Sun, Ai-Qin Dong, Department of Third Neurology, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou Clinical Medical School of Hebei Medical University, Cangzhou 061001, Hebei Province, China
Hong-Ying Zhao, Department of Elderly Internal Medicine, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou Clinical Medical School of Hebei Medical University, Cangzhou 061001, Hebei Province, China
Yu Kong, Department of Second Digestion, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou Clinical Medical School of Hebei Medical University, Cangzhou 061001, Hebei Province, China
Ning-Ning Sun, Department of First Digestion, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou Clinical Medical School of Hebei Medical University, Cangzhou 061001, Hebei Province, China
Author contributions: Yang GT, Zhao HY, Kong Y, Sun NN and Dong AQ designed the research; Yang GT, Zhao HY and Dong AQ performed the research; Yang GT, Zhao HY, Sun NN and Dong AQ contributed new reagents/analytic tools; Yang GT, Zhao HY and Dong AQ analyzed the data; and Yang GT and Dong AQ wrote the paper.
Supported by Cangzhou City Science and Technology Plan Projects, No. 151302138.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou Clinical Medical School of Hebei Medical University Institutional Review Board.
Clinical trial registration statement: This study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, No. ChiCTR-ROC-17014051.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: We declare that there are no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Guo-Tao Yang, MD, Department of Third Neurology, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou Clinical Medical School of Hebei Medical University, Gaojiao District, Cangzhou 061001, Hebei Province, China. yangguotao3815@cz_hospital.ac.cn
Telephone: +86-317-2179510 Fax: +86-317-2179510
Received: December 20, 2017
Peer-review started: December 20, 2017
First decision: January 4, 2018
Revised: February 7, 2018
Accepted: February 26, 2018
Article in press: February 26, 2018
Published online: March 28, 2018
Abstract
AIM

To explore the correlation between serum vitamin B12 level and peripheral neuropathy in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG).

METHODS

A total of 593 patients diagnosed with chronic gastritis by gastroscopy and pathological examination from September 2013 to September 2016 were selected for this study. The age of these patients ranged within 18- to 75-years-old. Blood pressure, height and weight were measured in each patient, and the body mass index value was calculated. Furthermore, gastric acid, serum gastrin, serum vitamin and serum creatinine tests were performed, and peripheral nerve conduction velocity and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) were detected. In addition, the type of gastritis was determined by gastroscopy. The above factors were used as independent variables to analyze chronic gastritis with peripheral neuropathy and vitamin B12 deficiency risk factors, and to analyze the relationship between vitamin B12 levels and peripheral nerve conduction velocity. In addition, in the treatment of CAG on the basis of vitamin B12, patients with peripheral neuropathy were observed.

RESULTS

Age, H. pylori infection, CAG, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 were risk factors for the occurrence of peripheral nerve degeneration. Furthermore, CAG and H. pylori infection were risk factors for chronic gastritis associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Serum vitamin B12 level was positively correlated with sensory nerve conduction velocity in the tibial nerve (R = 0.463). After vitamin B12 supplementation, patients with peripheral neuropathy improved.

CONCLUSION

Serum vitamin B12 levels in patients with chronic gastritis significantly decreased, and the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy had a certain correlation. CAG and H. pylori infection are risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency and peripheral neuropathy. When treating CAG, vitamin B12 supplementation can significantly reduce peripheral nervous system lesions. Therefore, the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy associated with vitamin B12 deficiency may be considered in patients with CAG. Furthermore, the timely supplementation of vitamin B12 during the clinical treatment of CAG can reduce or prevent peripheral nervous system lesions.

Keywords: Chronic gastritis, Chronic atrophic gastritis, Vitamin B12, Peripheral neuropathy

Core tip: The general situation and peripheral nerve conduction velocity of 593 patients with chronic gastritis were compared. We found that serum vitamin B12 levels in patients with chronic gastritis significantly decreased, and the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy had a certain correlation. Vitamin B12 supplementation can significantly reduce peripheral nervous system lesions. The occurrence of peripheral neuropathy associated with vitamin B12 deficiency may be considered in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis. Timely supplementation of vitamin B12 during the clinical treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis can reduce or prevent peripheral nervous system lesions.