Ascorbic acid deficiency in liver disease

Abstract

Leukocyte ascorbic acid (LAA) levels were measured in 138 patients with liver disease. Significantly reduced levels were found in 37 patients with alcoholic liver disease (P<0.01) and 25 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (P<0.05). In the primary biliary cirrhosis patients, cholestyramine therapy was associated with significantly lower levels of the vitamin (P<0.05). Liver ascorbic acid measured in Menghini needle biopsies in 20 patients was significantly correlated with LAA (r = 0.807, p<0.001). No significant correlation was found between LAA and hematologic indices, conventional liver function tests, or cholesterol levels in any group of patients. Patients with LAA levels below 100 nM/108 WBC had significantly higher antipyrine half lives (mean = 28.3 h) than patients with LAA levels above this level (mean = 18.6 h) (P<0.05). Delayed drug metabolism related to low LAA should be considered when drugs metabolised by the liver are prescribed for patients with alcoholic liver disease or primary biliary cirrhosis.