title: Neutrophilic hypersegmentation as an indicator of incipient folic acid deficiency.
abstract: The authors have identified a group of subjects with neutrophilic hypersegmentation who are normal or near-normal with respect to other hematologic indices (hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume). In a high proportion of these subjects, serum folate levels are abnormally low. In this group and a non-hypersegmented-neutrophil control group there was a significant negative correlation between average numbers of neutrophilic lobes and serum folate levels. In the subjects with hypersegmented neutrophils the predominant alteration is a shift from three-lobed to five-lobed neutrophils. It is believed that neutrophilic hypersegmentation can be a valuable adjunct in documenting and/or uncovering incipient folate deficiency.
mesh_terms: D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid