REVIEW ARTICLE - THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF HEMATINIC DEFICIENCY IN GASTROINTESTINAL-DISEASE

Deficiency of any of the vitamins and minerals essential for normal er ythropoiesis (haematinics), including iron, copper, cobalt, vitamins A , B-12, B-6, C, E, folic acid, riboflavin and nicotinic acid, may be a ssociated with defective erythropoiesis and anaemia. Iron, vitamin B-1 2 and folate are the haematinics for which deficiency states manifest most often clinically and are the focus of this review. The normal abs orption of these haematinics and gastrointestinal causes of their defi ciency are described. Investigations, including the use of homocystein e metabolite levels and new techniques such as serum transferrin recep tor assays, and treatment of haematinic deficiency are discussed in de tail.