National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Hereditary folate malabsorption


Other Names:
Folate malabsorption, hereditary; Congenital folate malabsorption; Congenital defect of folate absorption; Folate malabsorption, hereditary; Congenital folate malabsorption; Congenital defect of folate absorption; Folic acid transport defect See More
Categories:
The following summary is from Orphanet, a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.
orphanet

Orpha Number: 90045

Definition
Hereditary folate malabsorption (HFM) is an inherited disorder of folate transport characterized by a systemic and central nervous system (CNS) folate deficiency manifesting as megaloblastic anemia, failure to thrive, diarrhea and/or oral mucositis, immunologic dysfunction and neurological disorders.

Epidemiology
The prevalence is unknown. Approximately 30 cases have been reported to date.

Clinical description
Disease onset usually occurs a few months after birth. Manifestations include failure to thrive, diarrhea and/or mouth ulcers, various neurological manifestations (motor impairment, seizures, developmental delay, cognitive and behavioral disorders), megaloblastic anemia and hypoimmunoglobulinemia. Megaloblastic anemia is the primary manifestation of HFM and can be very severe if untreated. Hypoimmunoglobulinemia results in unusual infections with Pneumocystis jiroveccii, C. difficile and cytomegalovirus (CMV) which can be recurrent and life-threatening in undiagnosed infants. Neurological manifestations may be the presenting symptoms in some but are absent in others. Seizures, if present, begin in infancy or later in childhood. Intracranial calcifications have been observed in some.

Etiology
HFM is caused by mutations in the SLC46A1 gene found on chromosome 17q11.2 which encodes the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT). PCFT is essential for intestinal folate absorption and transport of folates across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier. A defect in this protein leads to a systemic folate and CNS folate deficiency. Infants cannot absorb adequate folate from breast milk/formula and become deficient once their stores accumulated during gestation are exhausted.

Diagnostic methods
Diagnosis is based on clinical and laboratory findings. It is confirmed by findings of an impaired absorption of an oral folate load (even after correction of serum folate concentration) and a low CSF folate concentration (0-1.5nM). Bone marrow biopsy confirms the presence of megaloblastic anemia. Sequence analysis of the SLC46A1 coding region can identify any mutations present in the gene, also confirming diagnosis of HFM.

Differential diagnosis
The immunodeficiency seen in HFM may resemble severe combined immune deficiency (SCID; see this term). Other differential diagnoses include methionine synthase deficiency with megaloblastic anemia and developmental delay, formiminoglutamic aciduria, tyrosinemia type 1, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency and erythroleukemia (see these terms).

Antenatal diagnosis
Antenatal diagnosis is possible via prenatal testing. Screening of newborns with a family history of HFM allows for early diagnosis and treatment with folate immediately after birth, before symptoms occur.

Genetic counseling
HFM is inherited autosomal recessively. Genetic counseling is possible.

Management and treatment
High dose oral or parenteral 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-formylTHF) and oral L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-methylTHF) are the two types of reduced folates used to treat HFM. Dosage is monitored and adjusted (individualized for each patient) so that the CSF folate levels remain within the normal range (around 100nM in infants-2 year olds). Folic acid should not be used as it binds to folate receptors and blocks folate transport. If anemia is severe, a transfusion may be necessary. Early treatment with reduced folates before the appearance of symptoms can prevent the metabolic consequences of HFM. Patients should have regular blood tests to monitor complete blood count, serum and CSF folate and homocysteine concentrations and serum immunoglobulin concentrations.

Prognosis
With proper treatment the prognosis is good and reversal of most of the systemic consequences of the disease is usually achieved. Only when untreated is the prognosis poor.

Visit the Orphanet disease page for more resources.
Last updated: 10/1/2012

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

Showing of 39 |
Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Anorexia 0002039
Cheilitis
Inflammation of the lips
0100825
Decreased circulating antibody level 0004313
Diarrhea
Watery stool
0002014
Failure to thrive
Faltering weight
Weight faltering
[ more ] 		0001508
Global developmental delay 0001263
Glossitis
Inflammation of the tongue
Smooth swollen tongue
[ more ] 		0000206
Megaloblastic anemia 0001889
Nausea and vomiting 0002017
Pallor 0000980
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Behavioral abnormality
Behavioral changes
Behavioral disorders
Behavioral disturbances
Behavioral problems
Behavioral/psychiatric abnormalities
Behavioural/Psychiatric abnormality
Psychiatric disorders
Psychiatric disturbances
[ more ] 		0000708
Gastroesophageal reflux
Acid reflux
Acid reflux disease
Heartburn
[ more ] 		0002020
Peripheral neuropathy 0009830
Seizure 0001250
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Cerebral calcification
Abnormal deposits of calcium in the brain
0002514
Eosinophilia
High blood eosinophil count
0001880
Hyperreflexia
Increased reflexes
0001347
Immunodeficiency
Decreased immune function
0002721
Pancytopenia
Low blood cell count
0001876
Recurrent respiratory infections
Frequent respiratory infections
Multiple respiratory infections
respiratory infections, recurrent
Susceptibility to respiratory infections
[ more ] 		0002205
Recurrent urinary tract infections
Frequent urinary tract infections
Repeated bladder infections
Repeated urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections, recurrent
[ more ] 		0000010
Skeletal muscle atrophy
Muscle degeneration
Muscle wasting
[ more ] 		0003202
Thrombocytopenia
Low platelet count
0001873
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Ataxia 0001251
Athetosis
Involuntary writhing movements in fingers, hands, toes, and feet
0002305
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Basal ganglia calcification 0002135
Dyskinesia
Disorder of involuntary muscle movements
0100660
Feeding difficulties in infancy 0008872
Folate-responsive megaloblastic anemia 0004851
Generalized hypotonia
Decreased muscle tone
Low muscle tone
[ more ] 		0001290
Infantile onset
Onset in first year of life
Onset in infancy
[ more ] 		0003593
Intellectual disability
Mental deficiency
Mental retardation
Mental retardation, nonspecific
Mental-retardation
[ more ] 		0001249
Irritability
Irritable
0000737
Leukopenia
Decreased blood leukocyte number
Low white blood cell count
[ more ] 		0001882
Malabsorption
Intestinal malabsorption
0002024
Muscular hypotonia
Low or weak muscle tone
0001252
Neutropenia
Low blood neutrophil count
Low neutrophil count
[ more ] 		0001875
Oral ulcer
Mouth ulcer
0000155
Showing of 39 |
Last updated: 7/1/2020

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Hereditary folate malabsorption. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

In-Depth Information

  • GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.

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