Supplementation with Lactobacillus paracasei or Pediococcus pentosaceus does not prevent diarrhoea in neonatal pigs infected with Escherichia coli F18.

Infectious diarrhoea is a worldwide problem in newborns. Optimal bacterial colonisation may enhance gut maturation and protect against pathogenic bacteria after birth. We hypothesised that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) administration prevents pathogen-induced diarrhoea in formula-fed newborns.

Uptake of cobalamin and markers of cobalamin status: a longitudinal study of healthy pregnant women.

Background: Currently, it is unknown whether the decline in plasma cobalamin observed during pregnancy is caused by malabsorption of the vitamin. This study examined cobalamin absorption and markers of cobalamin status during normal pregnancy.

Methods: Twenty-seven pregnant Danish women were examined at gestation weeks 13, 24 and 36.

Mouse transcobalamin has features resembling both human transcobalamin and haptocorrin.

In humans, the cobalamin (Cbl) -binding protein transcobalamin (TC) transports Cbl from the intestine and into all the cells of the body, whereas the glycoprotein haptocorrin (HC), which is present in both blood and exocrine secretions, is able to bind also corrinoids other than Cbl. The aim of this study is to explore the expression of the Cbl-binding protein HC as well as TC in mice. BLAST analysis showed no homologous gene coding for HC in mice.

The vitamin B12 absorption test, CobaSorb, identifies patients not requiring vitamin B12 injection therapy.

Background: Treatment with vitamin B12 has virtually no side effects; however, life-long treatment is inconvenient for the patient and constitutes a cost for society.

Objective: To investigate whether vitamin B12 injection treatment reflects the actual need for treatment or whether some patients are treated unnecessarily with vitamin B12 injections.

Material And Methods: A prospective intervention study was conducted among nine general practitioners in Western Sealand County, Denmark.

Assessment of vitamin B(12) absorption based on the accumulation of orally administered cyanocobalamin on transcobalamin.

Background: Vitamin B(12), or cobalamin (Cbl), is absorbed in the intestine and transported to the cells bound to transcobalamin (TC). We hypothesize that cyanocobalamin (CNCbl) is absorbed unchanged, thereby allowing measurement of the complex of CNCbl bound to TC (TC-CNCbl) to be used for studying the absorption of the vitamin.

Methods: TC was immunoprecipitated from serum samples obtained from healthy donors at baseline and at 24 h after oral administration of three 9-microg CNCbl doses over 1 day.

Holotranscobalamin remains unchanged during pregnancy. Longitudinal changes of cobalamins and their binding proteins during pregnancy and postpartum.

We confirm a decrease in cobalamins during pregnancy, and report that the active part of cobalamins (holotranscobalamin, holoTC) remains unchanged. The decrease in cobalamins is explained by a decreased holohaptocorrin (holoHC), suggesting that holoTC rather than cobalamins should be used as a marker of vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy.

Haptocorrin in humans.

Background: Evolutionary haptocorrin is the youngest of the cobalamin-binding proteins. It evolved by duplication of the intrinsic factor gene and has been identified in most mammals examined. Its ability to bind both cobalamin and analogues is well established, but apart from that, our knowledge concerning its function and its distribution in adult and foetal life is limited.

Enzymatic extraction of cobalamin from monoclonal antibody captured haptocorrin and transcobalamin.

Objectives: Current extraction methods for cobalamins from serum influence the molecular characteristics of the vitamin. Therefore, an extraction procedure that leaves the cobalamins unchanged is needed.

Design And Methods: Monoclonal antibodies towards transcobalamin (TC) and haptocorrin (HC) (in house) linked to magnetic microspheres were used for precipitation of the proteins.

Holo-transcobalamin is an indicator of vitamin B-12 absorption in healthy adults with adequate vitamin B-12 status.

Background: It has been hypothesized that the response of holo-transcobalamin (holo-TC) to oral vitamin B-12 may be used to assess absorption. To develop a reliable clinical absorption test that uses holo-TC, it is necessary to determine the optimal timeline for vitamin B-12 administration and postdose assessment.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and patterns of change in the postabsorption response of holo-TC to oral vitamin B-12.

Plasma holotranscobalamin compared with plasma cobalamins for assessment of vitamin B12 absorption; optimisation of a non-radioactive vitamin B12 absorption test (CobaSorb).

Background: A recently developed non-radioactive vitamin B(12) absorption test (CobaSorb) was further explored to identify the best marker for reflection of vitamin B(12) absorption and to determine the duration of the test.

Methods: Seventy-eight healthy individuals (age 21-81 years) were given three oral doses of 9 microg vitamin B(12) per day for 5 successive days. Non-fasting blood samples were collected on days 1 to 5 before administration of vitamin B(12) and on day 8.

Effect of vitamin B12 treatment on haptocorrin.

Background: Haptocorrin (HC) carries the major part of circulating cobalamin, but whether HC is altered on treatment with vitamin B12 remains unknown.

Methods: Our study included 3 populations: a population of vegan men (n = 174; vegan population), of whom 63 were treated daily with 5 mg of oral vitamin B12 for 3 months; a group of patients with a previous methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentration >0.4 micromol/L (n = 140; population with suspected deficiency), of which 69 were treated with weekly vitamin B12 injections (1 mg) for 4 weeks; and a subgroup of participants in a vitamin B intervention study (n = 88; nondeficient population), of whom 45 were treated daily with 0.

The cobalamin-binding proteins transcobalamin and haptocorrin in maternal and cord blood sera at birth.

Background: Two proteins carry vitamin B12 in plasma. Transcobalamin (TC) carries approximately 25% of total plasma vitamin B12 and is 6% to 20% saturated with cobalamin. Haptocorrin (HC) binds approximately 80% of total cobalamin and is largely saturated with cobalamin.

Evaluation of the technical performance of novel holotranscobalamin (holoTC) assays in a multicenter European demonstration project.

A commercially available holotranscobalamin (holo-TC) radioimmunoassay (RIA) (Axis-Shield, Dundee, Scotland) was evaluated in four laboratories and compared with a holoTC ELISA run in one laboratory. The performance of the holoTC RIA assay was comparable in three of the four participating laboratories. The results from these three laboratories, involving at least 20 initial runs of "low", "medium" and "high" serum-based controls (mean holoTC concentrations 34, 60 and 110 pmol/L, respectively) yielded an intra-laboratory imprecision of 6-10%.

Glycosylation independent measurement of the cobalamin binding protein haptocorrin.

Background: Haptocorrin carries the major part of the circulating vitamin B12. The protein is heavily glycosylated and this may have implications for its measurement.

Methods: We used two different ELISA assays.