title: Restoration of abnormally high CD4/CD8 ratio and low natural killer cell activity by vitamin B12 therapy in a patient with post-gastrectomy megaloblastic anemia.
abstract: A patient with post-gastrectomy megaloblastic anemia is described. Initially, the CD4/CD8 ratio of blood cells was abnormally high and the level of natural killer cell activity was markedly low. These abnormalities were, however, restored by vitamin B12 treatment. Taken together with our prior report on a patient with pernicious anemia in whom the decreased level of CD8-positive blood cells was corrected by vitamin B12 therapy, it may be considered that the reversible CD4/CD8 imbalance of blood cells noted in some cases of pernicious anemia is not pathognomonic for the disease but secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kusatsu Branch Hospital, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurabayashi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakura
mesh_terms: D000749:Anemia, Megaloblastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12