Answers To Case 4: Folic Acid Deficiency

Folic Acid Deficiency Case File
https://medical-phd.blogspot.com/2021/03/folic-acid-deficiency-case-file.html
Eugene C.Toy, MD, William E. Seifert, Jr., PHD, Henry W. Strobel, PHD, Konrad P. Harms, MD
❖ CASE 4
A 47-year-old female is brought to the emergency department with complaints of malaise, nausea
and vomiting, and fatigue. The patient reveals a long history of alcohol abuse for the last 10 years
requiring drinks daily especially in the morning as an “eye opener.” She has been to rehab on
several occasions for alcoholism but has not been able to stop drinking. She is currently homeless
and jobless. She denies cough, fever, chills, upper respiratory symptoms, sick contacts, recent
travel, hematemesis, or abdominal pain. She reports feeling hungry and has not eaten very well in a
long time. On physical exam she appears malnourished but in no distress. Her physical exam is
normal. Her blood count reveals a normal white blood cell count but does show an anemia with
large red blood cells. Her amylase, lipase, and liver function tests were normal.
◆ What is the most likely cause of her anemia?
◆ What is the molecular basis for the large erythrocytes?
ANSWERS TO CASE 4: FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY

Summary: 47-year-old alcoholic white female has fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, and poor
nutritional intake with macrocytic anemia and no evidence of pancreatitis, liver disease, or peptic
ulcer disease.
◆ Cause of anemia: Folic acid deficiency.
◆ Molecular basis of macrocytosis: Abnormal proliferation of erythroid precursors in the bone

marrow, since folate deficiency encumbers the maturation of these cells by inhibition of
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis.
CLINICAL CORRELATION
Folate is an essential vitamin, found in green leafy vegetables. It is essential for many biochemical
processes in the body, including DNA synthesis and red blood cell synthesis. Recently, folate
supplementation has been found to be important in the prevention of fetal neural tube defects such
as anencephaly (absence of brain cerebral cortex and no skull or skin covering the brain), and spina
bifida (spinal cord malformation whereby the meninges are exposed leading to neurologic deficits).
Alcoholics in particular are at risk for folate deficiency because of impaired gastrointestinal
absorption and poor nutrition. Macrocytic anemia (large red blood cells) may be seen with folate
deficiency. Treatment consists for folic acid replacement (usually 1 mg/day) by mouth with
correction of anemia over the following 1 to 2 months. The diet usually requires adjustment, and
correctable causes addressed (malnutrition in this case). Notably, folate deficiency in pregnancy has
been associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) in fetuses. It is recommended that mothers take at
least 400 μg of folic acid 3 months prior to conception to reduce the risk of NTD. At times, more
than 400 μg of folic acid per day is recommended prior to conception. Some specific examples
include a history of previous NTD, sickle cell disease, multiple gestations, and Crohn disease.
APPROACH TO FOLATE AND DNA SYNTHESIS

Objectives
1. Understand the important metabolic roles of folic acid with production
of thymine, purine synthesis, and methionine.
2. Be aware of how folate deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia.
Definitions
S-Adenosyl methionine: An important carrier of activated methyl groups. It is formed by the
condensation of ATP with the amino acid methionine catalyzed by the enzyme methionine
adenosyltransferase in a reaction that releases triphosphate.
Dihydrofolate reductase: The enzyme that reduces folic acid (folate) first to dihydrofolate and
then to the active tetrahydrofolate. Dihydrofolate reductase uses NADPH as the source of the
reducing equivalents for the reaction.
Folic acid: An essential vitamin composed of a pteridine ring bound to p-aminobenzoate, which is
in an amide linkage to one or more glutamate residues. The active form of the enzyme is
tetrahydrofolate (THF, FH4), which is an important carrier of 1-carbon units in a variety of
oxidation states.
Megaloblastic anemia: An anemia characterized by macrocytic erythrocytes produced by
abnormal proliferation of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow due to a limitation in normal
DNA synthesis.
Methotrexate: One of a number of antifolate drugs. Methotrexate is an analog of folate which
competitively inhibits dihydrofolate reductase. Since a plentiful supply of THF is required for
ongoing synthesis of the pyrimidine nucleotide thymidylate, synthesis of this nucleotide is inhibited
resulting in decreased DNA synthesis.
Methyl trap: The sequestering of tetrahydrofolate as N5-methyl THF because of decreased
conversion of homocysteine to methionine as a result of a deficiency of methionine synthase or its
cofactor, cobalamin (vitamin B12).

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Folic Acid Deficiency Case File

◆ What is the most likely cause of her anemia?

◆ What is the molecular basis for the large erythrocytes?

ANSWERS TO CASE 4: FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY

◆ Cause of anemia: Folic acid deficiency.

◆ Molecular basis of macrocytosis: Abnormal proliferation of erythroid precursors in the bone

APPROACH TO FOLATE AND DNA SYNTHESIS

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