Schilling Test

["Patricia Edgerton" <HW1.PEDGERTO@HW1.CAHWNET.GOV>]

I did not get the original
"Schillings Test" radsafe message, but in a past life I was a Nuclear Medicine
Technologist. The current schillings tests use both Co-57 and Co-58 to
determine if the problem is due to pernicious anemia or due to the lack of
intrinsic factor (secreted by the gastric mucosa and necessary for the
absorption of B-12 in the small intestine (terminal ileum to be specific).
The B-12 molecule is centered around cobalt, so it is used as the tracer.
If you want more info, you can reach me at:
pedgerto@hw1.cahwnet.gov.


Trisha Edgerton

*** Forwarding note from RADSAFE --HW1SMTP  10/24/95 11:48 ***

From: GARY MANSFIELD
To: RADSAFE --HW1SMTP  RADSAFE

Subject: Schilling Test

Sender's Nativename=radsafe@ROMULUS.EHS.UIUC.EDU

                                        - Captain Internal Dosimetry!

                                      Schilling Test

Reply to Peter V., re the "Schilling Test."

This rang a *very* faint bell, and in "Ionizing Radiation and Life" a textbook
by Arena, published in 1971, one finds the following under diagnosis of
pernicious anemia:

"In the Schilling Test, a 0.5 microcurie dose of radiocobalt-labeled vitamin
is administered orally to the patient; his urine is collected for 24 hours and
radioassayed with a well scintillation counter along with a standard.  A
24-hour urinary excretion of less than 7% of the ingested dose is suggestive
of pernicious anemia."