RBC FOLATE
- Code
- 900.1650
- Name
- RBC FOLATE
- Category
- None
- Department
- Send-Out
- Start Date
- Expiration Date
- Synonyms
- Folic Acid, RBC
- CPT Codes
- 82747
- Site
- SBMF
- Reference Test
- 30036
Specimen Information
- Type
Lavender, EDTA, WHOLE BLOOD
- Volume
1.0 ml
- Transport Info
Wrap tube in foil to protect sample from light exposure
Refrigerate specimen- Fasting Required?
- False
- Patient Instructions
- Reference Range
280-791 ng/mL
- Methodology
Electrochemiluminescent Immunoassay (ECLIA)
Clinical Significance
Detect folate deficiency. Monitor therapy with folate. Evaluate megaloblastic and macrocytic anemia.
Folate has become a generic term for the miscellaneous analogues of pteroylglutamic acid (PGA). Folate is obtained from dietary sources, absorbed from the small intestine and stored in the liver. Low folate intake, malabsorption, chronic alcoholism, pregnancy and drugs such as phenytoin are causes of folate deficiency.Folate and Vitamin B12 deficiency impair DNA synthesis, resulting in abnormal maturation of red blood cells. These deficiencies are characterized by macrocytic anemia. Appropriate treatment depends on the differential diagnosis of the deficiency. Serum folate measurement provides an early index of folate status. Folate is more concentrated in red blood cells than in serum, and more closely reflects tissue stores.