Vitamin C in the human stomach: Relation to gastric pH, gastroduodenal disease, and possible sources

Abstract

Fasting gastric juice pH and concentrations of vitamin C in gastric aspirate and plasma were measured in 73 patients undergoing endoscopy. Vitamin C concentrations were significantly lower in those with hypochlorhydria (pH>4; n=23) compared with those with pH≤4 (p<0·005) and there was a significant correlation between gastric juice and plasma concentrations (p=0·002). Patients with normal endoscopic findings had significantly higher intragastric concentrations of vitamin C than those with gastric cancer (p<0·001), pernicious anaemia (p<0·005), gastric ulcer (n<0·01), duodenal ulcer (p<0·05), or after gastric surgery (p<0·01). There was a strong trend (0·05