Serum and Salivary Vitamin B12 Levels among Iron Deficiency Anemia Patient with Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

 
We aimed to evaluate serum and salivary vitamin B12 levels in patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with and without recurring aphthous ulcers (RAS).

 
Study participants were divided into three groups, clinically healthy control group (n = 25), an IDA patient with RAS (n = 25), and an IDA without RAS (n = 25). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to assess the serum and salivary B-12 levels blindly. Data analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and the Tukey’s post hoc test using R software.

 
There were statistically significant differences regarding serum and salivary B12 levels among study groups (P<0.001). All pairwise comparisons showed significant differences regarding serum (P<0.001) and salivary (P ≤ 0.002) B12 levels.

 
The Control group (396 ± 18.2 pg/mL) was within the normal serum level of vitamin B12 (200-900 pg/mL), while in IDA with RAS (111 ± 15.4 pg/mL) and IDA without RAS (145 ± 57.2 pg/mL) serum level of vitamin B12 is lower than the normal range and significantly lower than the control group.