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Folate, serum

Alternate test name

Folic Acid

Lab area
Clinical Biochemistry - General
Method and equipment
Abbott Ci4100
Expected turn-around time
STAT/ Urgent / Routine: 24 Hours
Specimen type

Serum, Lithium Heparin plasma, Protect from light.

Specimen requirements

1 mL

Storage and transportation

Frozen

Shipping information
The Hospital for Sick Children
Rapid Response Laboratory
555 University Avenue, Room 3642
Toronto, ON
Canada
M5G 1X8
Phone: 416-813-7200
Toll Free: 1-855-381-3212
Hours: 7 days/week, 24 hours/day
Background and clinical significance

Folates are a class of vitamin compounds related to pteroylglutamic acid (PGA), which serve as cofactors
in the enzymatic transfer of single carbon units in a variety of metabolic pathways Folates are necessary for nucleic acid and mitochondrial protein synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and other cellular processes that involve single carbon transfers Because deficiencies of both vitamin B12 and folate can lead to megaloblastic (macrocytic) anemia, appropriate treatment requires differential diagnosis of the deficiency; thus, both vitamin B12 and folate values are needed.folate values reflect the second stage of negative folate balance, and more closely correlate with tissue levels and megaloblastic anemia.

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