Serum vitamin B12 and erythrocyte folate in chronic uraemia and after renal transplantation.

Serum B12 and erythrocyte folate were measured in 16 non-dialysed uraemic patients, 28 peritoneal dialysed patients, 28 haemodialysed patients, 14 renal transplanted patients with normal renal function and 49 healthy control subjects. Serum B12 values in non-dialysed uraemic patients were higher than in control subjects (P less than 0.01). Serum B12 values in peritoneal dialysed, haemodialysed and transplanted patients were not significantly different from the control group. Erythrocyte folate values in non-dialysed uraemic patients were lower than in controls (P less than 0.03), but all subjects had values within the normal range. Erythrocyte folate values in peritoneal dialysed, haemodialysed and renal transplanted patients were not significantly different from the control group, although 2 peritoneal and 6 haemodialysed patients had subnormal values. Blood and bone marrow examination, performed in 64 patients, demonstrated no megaloblastic changes.