Hematologic status and vitamin B12, iron and folic acid levels in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Abstract

The recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common oral mucosa disorders. Despite constant investigation its etiology and optimal therapeutic approach are still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the hematologic status and serum levels of vitamin B12, folic acid and iron in patients with RAS compared them with a control group. Forty patients with RAS and forty control individuals matched by gender and age were included. The patients’ medical records were examined along with their laboratory exams, such as: red blood count, hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum vitamin B12, folic acid and iron. 10% of patients with RAS showed anaemia and 7.5% exhibited iron and folic acid deficiencies. Iron deficiency was observed in 12.5% of the cases. There was no significant difference between groups for the hematologic and nutritional variables, despite RAS patients have showed lower vitamin B12 levels. It was concluded that hematologic and nutritional alterations were not associated with RAS. However, blood count, iron, folic acid and mainly, vitamin B12 serum levels should be investigated in patients with RAS since the decrease of mucosa thickness may favor aphthous ulcers development. Key words: Aphthous stomatitis. Folic acid. Iron. Vitamin B12.