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

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