Distribution of plasma folate forms in hemodialysis patients receiving high daily doses of L-folinic or folic acid.

BACKGROUND

We have previously reported that a daily oral high dose of l-folinic acid for the treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia in hemodialysis patients does not provide significantly greater reduction in fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) levels than an equimolar dose of folic acid. The present study uses the affinity/HPLC method to analyze the distribution of plasma folate forms in patients who received l-folinic acid versus those who received folic acid. This was done to investigate claims that renal insufficiency is associated with impaired folate interconversion, a stance that is supportive of the premise that tHcy lowering in these patients is more efficacious with folinic acid and other reduced folates, than folic acid.

METHODS

Forty-eight chronic and stable hemodialysis patients were block-randomized, based on their screening predialysis tHcy levels, sex, and dialysis center, into two groups treated for 12 weeks with oral folic acid at 15 mg/day or an equimolar amount (20 mg/day) of oral l-folinic acid. All 48 subjects also received 50 mg/day of oral vitamin B6 and 1 mg/day of oral vitamin B12. Folate distribution was determined in plasma of 46 participants (Folinic acid group, N = 22; Folic acid group, N = 24) by using the affinity/HPLC method, with electrochemical (coulometric) detection.

RESULTS

Both groups had similar baseline geometric means of plasma total folate and similar folate forms distribution. Following treatment, both groups demonstrated similar marked elevation in plasma total folate (geometric mean of the increase: Folinic acid group, +337 ng/mL; Folic acid group, +312 ng/mL; P = 0.796). In the folinic acid-treated group, practically all of the increase in total folate was due to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. In the folic acid-treated group 5-methyltetrahydrofolate accounted for 35% of the increase in total folate and the remainder was unmethylated folic acid.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from the present findings suggest that defects in folate absorption or impairment in folate interconversion are not the cause of the persistent hyperhomocysteinemia in hemodialysis patients.