2. To know about Folic Acid
To know how folic acid disturbances lead
to leukemia
To know change in folic acid level after
malignancy
3. Leukemia is a neoplasm that present with
widespread involvement of bone marrow and
peripheral blood
It is broadly classified as:
Leukemia
Lymphoid
Acute
Chronic
Myeloid
Acute
Chronic
4. Chemically, known as Pteroyl Glutamic Acid
(PGA)
Normal range in blood : 2.7-17 ng/ml
Found in natural form called “Folate”
Man-made form “Folic Acid” found in Vitamin
supplement
Daily requirement in food 400 μg.
Helps in
• Synthesis of DNA
• Maturation of RBC Precursors
• Formation of healthy cells
5. Folate deficiency is associated with uracil
misinsertion in DNA & dsDNA breaks during
uracil excision repair
Leading to DNA instability, altered DNA
methylation and inability to repair DNA
Thus increasing the risk of chromosomal
aberrations
6. Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR)
directs 5,10-MTHF toward methionine synthesis
at the expense of DNA synthesis
5,10-MTHF methionine
DNA
MTHFR
7. Different MTHFR polymorphisms, is
associated with
• Reduced enzyme activity
• Altered distribution of intracellular
folate metabolites.
Rapidly replicating hematopoietic cells,
are sensitive to changes in the availability
of intracellular folate
Thus may lead to malignancy
10. Folic Acid deficiency causes chromosomal
aberration which leads to malignancy
Malignant cells require folic acid to divide
vigorously and in absence of folic acid
they can’t divide
So normal level of folic acid is required for
normal metabolic function of cells.
