Fecal folate

Texas Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756 E-mail: kate.hendricks{at}tdh.state.tx.us

Dear Sir:

After watching the movie Alien, I'm not sure I believe the old dictum that "the only individuals who get to speak in first person plural are the queen, a pregnant woman, and someone with parasites." In response to Boddie et al (1), I think the possibility should be considered that the denizens of a person's gut may influence how much folate is available for the jejunal brush border pteroyl-poly-glutamate hydrolase (-Glu-X carboxypeptidase) to hydrolyze. Generically speaking, this is not a novel idea; vitamin B-12 deficiency secondary to Diphyllobothrium latum infestation is well known.

I find Boddie et al's data depicting lower urinary excretion of labeled folate in women with neural tube defect–affected pregnancies than in control women to be suggestive but not convincing evidence of impaired absorption of polyglutamyl folate. Perhaps in future experiments, Boddie et al could fractionate or centrifuge the stool of their participants to see whether labeled folate that was not taken up (as evidenced by urinary excretion) simply passed through or was taken up by microorganisms.

REFERENCE

1. Boddie AM, Dedlow ER, Nackashi JA, et al. Folate absorption in women with a history of neural tube defect–affected pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:154–8.