Deoxyuridine suppression test

W3. Wickramasinghe, S. N., The deoxyuridine suppression test A review of its clinical and research applications. Clin. Lab. Haematol. 3, 1-18 (1981). 

PelliniemiTT andBeckWS (1980) Biochemical mechanisms in the Killmann experiment critique of the deoxyuridine suppression test. Journal ofClinical Investigation65,449-60. 

Both direct and indirect (ftmctional) methods are available for assessing vitamin B status. The indirect tests include assays for urinary and serum concentrations of methylmalonic acid, plasma homocysteine, the deoxyuridine suppression test, and the vitamin B12 absorption test. Cyto-chemical staining of red blood cell (RBC) precursors and the test for IF blocking antibodies are also ancillary methods for assessing vitamin B12 status. 

The deoxyuridine suppression test measures the effect of prior addition of deoxyuridine on the uptake of radiolabeled thymidine into the DNA of cultured bone marrow cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes, or whole blood. Normal samples that contain vitamin B12 can convert deoxyuridine to thymidine and therefore do not take up as much thymidine. Samples from patients who are deficient in vitamin B12 show less suppression than in normal patients. Because it is relatively time consuming, the deoxyuridine suppression test is not widely available for use as a diagnostic test. ... 

Tamura T, Soong SJ, Sauberlich HE, Hatch KD, Cole P, Butterworth CE, Jr. Evaluation of the deoxyuridine suppression test by using whole blood samples from folic acid-supplemented subjects. An J Clin Nutr 1990 51 80-6. 

Liver biopsies in epileptic patients on long-term anticonvulsant treatment have demonstrated areas of focal liver cell necrosis and inflammation. These changes were very minimal (18 ). A deoxyuridine suppression test, which apparently detects vita-... 

Das, K. C. and Herbert, V. (1978) The l)miphocyte as Marker of post nutritional status Persistence of abnormal lymphocyte deoxyuridine (dU) suppression test and chromosomes in patients with past deficiency of folate and vitamin B,... 

The ability of deoxyuridine to suppress the incorporation of pH thymidine into DNA in rapidly dividing cells can be used to give an index of folate status. Bone marrow biopsy samples provide the best source, so this has been generally a research tool rather than a screening test however, transformed lymphocytes can also be used. 

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