title: Plasma total transcobalamin I. Ethnic/racial patterns and comparison with lactoferrin.
abstract: Plasma total transcobalamin (TC) I levels were measured in 434 healthy volunteers by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The results were analyzed for demographic patterns and were compared with lactoferrin, cobalamin, homocysteine, and chemistry panel results. Plasma TC I was higher in blacks than in other ethnic/racial groups and higher in women than in men. TC I levels did not correlate with lactoferrin levels. Lactoferrin showed significant ethnic differences also, but, unlike TC I, its levels were highest in whites. TC I levels correlated with cobalamin but not homocysteine levels. Neither TC I nor lactoferrin correlated with chemistry panel results, including creatinine, total protein, albumin, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase levels. The demonstration with an RIA that directly measures total TC I that plasma levels are significantly higher in blacks than in other groups may explain the well-known higher cobalamin levels in blacks. Surprisingly, plasma lactoferrin, which has the same cellular sources as TC I, does not correlate with plasma TC I levels and shows dissimilar demographic patterns; lactoferrin levels are highest in whites. These findings suggest that regulation and/or secretion of these 2 proteins differ even though their localization and expression patterns in myeloid precursors are similar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New York Methodist Hospital, 506 Sixth Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carmel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brar
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Frouhar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014155:Transcobalamins / Q000032:analysis*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D014155:Transcobalamins; D007781:Lactoferrin; D014805:Vitamin B 12