Metformin Lowers Serum Cobalamin without Changing Other Markers of Cobalamin Status: A Study on Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Nutrients

Eva Greibe³  Birgitta Trolle²  Mustafa V. Bor³  Finn F. Lauszus¹ 

[1] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Herning Hospital, Gl. Landevej 61, 7400 Herning, Denmark; E-Mail:;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark; E-Mail:;Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus C, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark; E-Mails:

关键词: vitamin B12;    cobalamin;    metformin;    Polycystic Ovary Syndrome;    haptocorrin;    holotranscobalamin;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nu5072475

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Treatment with the anti-diabetic drug metformin is followed by a decline in plasma cobalamin, but it is unsettled whether this denotes an impaired cobalamin status. This study has explored changes in the markers of cobalamin status in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome treated with metformin (1.5-2.5 g per day) (n = 29) or placebo (n = 23) for six months. Serum samples were collected before and after two, four, and six months of treatment. We found serum cobalamin to decline and reach significant lower levels after six months of treatment (p = 0.003). Despite the decline in serum cobalamin, we observed no reductions in the physiological active part of cobalamin bound to transcobalamin (holotranscobalamin), or increase in the metabolic marker of cobalamin status, methylmalonic acid. Instead, the non-functional part of circulating cobalamin bound to haptocorrin declined (p = 0.0009). Our results have two implications: The data questions whether metformin treatment induces an impaired cobalamin status in PCOS patients, and further suggests that serum cobalamin is a futile marker for judging cobalamin status in metformin-treated patients.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.