Elif Pınar Ayyıldız

Dr. Elif Pınar Ayyıldız

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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14 October 2026 in Diagnostics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
TITimucin Imdadoglu
Timucin Imdadoglu
EAEmel Altuncu
Emel Altuncu
ECElif Betul Keskin Cetinkaya
Elif Betul Keskin Cetinkaya
AYAslı Öztürk Yeniay
Aslı Öztürk Yeniay
EAElif Pınar Ayyıldız
Elif Pınar Ayyıldız
SGSirin Guven
Sirin Guven
Background/Objectives: Serum vitamin B12 testing is frequently ordered in pediatric outpatient practice, either routinely or incidentally as part of broad laboratory panels or in response to symptoms and nutritional concerns; however, how the yield of low serum vitamin B12 results varies across age groups and testing indications remains poorly defined. The primary focus was age-related variation in low serum vitamin B12 results, with recorded testing indications examined as a secondary question and symptom-specific analyses considered exploratory. Methods: This single-center retrospective study analyzed testing episodes from children aged 0–18 years attending general pediatric outpatient clinics in 2025. Outcomes were <200 pg/mL (primary) and <300 pg/mL (secondary). Two blinded physicians classified testing indications. Cluster-robust regression evaluated age, sex, and indication; 18 symptom indicators were evaluated in age- and sex-adjusted models with Benjamini–Hochberg correction. Results: Of 34,744 episodes, 34,721 were valid; 5.8% were <200 pg/mL and 27.5% were <300 pg/mL. Low-result yield (<200 pg/mL) showed a bimodal age pattern: 7.9% at ages 0–2 years, 2.3% at 3–5 years, and 10.6% at 15–18 years. The number of tests per low result ranged from 9.4 at ages 15–18 years to 42.8 at ages 3–5 years. Routine or incidental testing comprised 63.9% of episodes; crude yield by indication ranged from 4.9% to 7.3%. Compared with 6–11 years, adjusted odds were higher at 0–2 years (aOR 2.81, 95% CI 2.44–3.24) and 15–18 years (aOR 3.92, 95% CI 3.42–4.51). No indication independently predicted the primary outcome; no symptom remained significant for that outcome after false discovery rate correction. Conclusions: The yield of low serum vitamin B12 results was strongly age-dependent and bimodal, with higher-yield periods during the first two years of life and adolescence. Broad retrospectively recorded testing indications were not independently associated with results < 200 pg/mL after adjustment for age and sex. These findings support age-informed assessment alongside clinician-directed testing.