Abstract
BackgroundFolate deficiency is rare in western countries and therefore blood tests for folate level have limited indications. One such indication is red cell macrocytosis, however it is unclear if the association of macrocytosis with folate deficiency is robust enough to serve as a risk marker. Our objective is to determine whether macrocytosis is a useful marker for folate deficiency.FindingsPaired data from the Calgary Laboratory Services Information System was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine strength of association between mean corpuscular volume and serum folate. Strength of association was analyzed for serum folate cut-off values of 12, 10, 8, and 6 nmol/L. Overall, 0.2% of individuals were folate deficient (<6 nmol/L serum folate). Based on ROC curves, at each cut-off level, mean corpuscular volume was a poor predictive marker for serum folate level.ConclusionsFolate deficiency is rare in Calgary, Alberta. Macrocytosis is not a strong predictor for folate deficiency.
Highlights
Folate deficiency is rare in western countries and blood tests for folate level have limited indications
Folate deficiency is rare in Calgary, Alberta
Prior to fortification, population estimates for red blood cell (RBC) folate deficiency were as high as 38%, and 16% for serum folate deficiency [4]
Summary
Folate deficiency is rare in western countries and blood tests for folate level have limited indications. *Correspondence: Christopher.naugler@cls.ab.ca 2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, C410, Diagnostic and Scientific Centre, 3535 Research Road NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2K8, Canada Full list of author information is available at the end of the article deficiency-related anemia in Canada [7, 8]. The purpose of this study is twofold: firstly, to document the rate of folate deficiency among serum folate tests ordered in Calgary, Alberta; and secondly, to determine whether red cell mean corpuscular volume (MCV) can reliably be used as a marker for folate deficiency.
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