Investigation of blood levels of zinc, vitamin B12 and folate in patients with haematological malignancy

Objectives: Zinc, vitamin B12 (VB12) and folate have important roles in haematopoiesis. We assessed deficiencies in zinc, VB12 and folate levels in patients with primary haematological malignancy before the administration of cancer chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed serum levels of zinc, VB12 and folate in 37 patients with haematological malignancy. Results: Of the 37 study patients, 27 had been diagnosed with malignant lymphoma, 8 with leukaemia and 2 with multiple myeloma. The percentages of patients with sufficient, low and deficient levels of zinc were 18.9%, 59.5% and 21.6%, respectively. VB12 levels were sufficient for more than 80.0% of patients. The percentages of patients with sufficient, low and deficient levels of folate were 51.4%, 43.2% and 5.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Zinc and folate levels tended to be deficient in patients with haematological malignancy.