Serum Thymidine Kinase in Vitamin B12 Deficiency

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Abstract
In DNA synthesis deoxythymidine kinase (TK) catalyses the conversion of deoxythymidine to deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) via the salvage pathway. Serum deoxythymidine kinase (S-TK) was measured in this study in 75 patients with vitamin B12 deficiency by a new, very sensitive method, using 125I-deoxyuridine as substrate. Elevated S-TK levels were found in those patients who had developed hemolysis and anemia, and the more advanced the disease the higher the S-TK value. There was a highly significant correlation between S-TK, Hb level and lactic dehydrogenase activity. Elevated levels of S-TK apparently are due to release from unstable proliferating tissue.