title: A sex difference in the serum vitamin B-12 levels of hospitalized alcoholics.
abstract: The relationship of elevated serum vitamin B-12 concentration to alcoholism in general hospital patients was studied both in a retrospective and in a prospective group of patients. Alcoholism was the most common disease correlate of vitamin B-12 elevations in females. Of the unselected female alcoholics, 61% had a serum vitamin B-12 concentration larger than or equal to 1000 ng/liter at the time of admission; only 17% of the nonalcoholics, whatever their other disease, exhibited such high values. The sensitivity of high B-12 levels for alcoholism in females paralleled that of high SGOT, GGT and MCV values. In contrast, males (approximately 70% of our alcoholics) far less often exhibited B-12 elevations even when SGOT, GGT and MCV were abnormally high. Elevation of serum B-12 concentration should always raise the suspicion of alcohol abuse, especially in females.
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D014805:Vitamin B 12