nutritional disorders
Folate Deficiency
Diagnosis of Folate Deficiency
Complete blood count and serum vitamin B12 and folate levels Complete blood count may indicate Megaloblastic Macrocytic Anemias indistinguishable from that of If serum folate is<3 mcg/L or ng/mL (<7 nmol/L), deficiency is likely. Serum folate reflects folate status unless intake has recently increased or decreased. If intake has changed, erythrocyte (red blood cell) folate level better reflects tissue stores. A level of<140 mcg/L or ng/mL (<305 nmol/L) indicates inadequate status. Also, an increase in the homocysteine level suggests tissue folate deficiency (but the level is also affected by vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 levels, renal insufficiency, and genetic factors). A normal methylmalonic acid (MMA) level may differentiate folate deficiency from vitamin B12 deficiency, because MMA levels rise in vitamin B12 deficiency but not in folate deficiency. 