[Macrocytosis in relation to the severity of the hepatopathy]

Among factors causing the hepatopath's relative erythrocyte macrocytosis, the influence of alcohol and liver function damage was compared. Hepatopathic macrocytosis is different from Biermer's macrocytosis and evidently involves different pathogenetic mechanisms. It is significant that a deficit in vit. B12 does not occur and a modest deficit in folates only rarely. There is much evidence of an alteration in lipidemia and particularly in apo-protein content. It is concluded that the two factors considered have different mechanisms but produce the same results.