Abstract
A high mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was found in 74% of a group of 69 patients with functioning renal allografts. All 69 patients had normal red cell folate and serum vitamin B12 levels and normal liver function tests. A study of marrow aspirates from 28 of these patients, with MCV values ranging between 87 and 129 fl, indicated that all the patients with a high MCV and several of the patients with a normal MCV had megaloblastie erythropoiesis. Deoxyuridine suppression tests were performed on the marrow cells from 20 patients and showed no impairment in the conversion of deoxyuridylate to thymidylate. It was concluded that the macrocytosis encountered in patients with renal grafts was usually caused by therapy with azathioprine and not by folate deficiency or interference with folate metabolism. There was no correlation between renal function and the MCV in patients with creatinine clearance values between 35 and 149 ml/min.
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