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[Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma levels of vitamin C in children]
Insights
Vitamin C levels are significantly higher in children's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) than plasma. This study highlights vitamin C's potential role in central nervous system health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Investigating vitamin C (ascorbic acid) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma.
- Study included 67 children requiring lumbar puncture for medical reasons.
- 14 children with normal CSF values served as controls.
Purpose:
- To compare vitamin C concentrations in CSF and plasma across different pediatric groups.
- To explore potential differences in vitamin C levels between healthy children, premature infants, and those with meningitis.
- To investigate the role of vitamin C in the central nervous system.
Summary:
- CSF vitamin C levels in controls were 2.5-3 times higher than plasma levels.
- Premature and term babies showed up to 16-fold higher CSF vitamin C than plasma.
- CSF vitamin C was significantly decreased in children with acute purulent meningitis.
Impact:
- Findings suggest significant functions of vitamin C in the central nervous system's physiological and pathological processes.
- Highlights potential neuroprotective roles of vitamin C, especially in vulnerable infant populations.
- Provides preliminary data for further research into vitamin C's neurological implications.
Abstract:
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma from 67 children, in whom lumbar puncture had to be performed for medical reasons, are reported in this preliminary paper. 14 children of this group show normal CSF laboratory values and serve as controls. Vitamin C concentrations in CSF of controls are on average 2.5-3-times higher (30.1 +/- 6.3 mg/l) than the pertaining values in their plasma (12.2 +/- 4.9 mg/l). Significant differences are exhibited by premature and term babies, which have up to 16-times higher values of vitamin C in CSF than in plasma. Furthermore CSF vitamin C is 4-5 times higher in premature babies than in schoolchildren of our group (118.2 +/- 65.9 versus 28.3 +/- 3.0 mg/l). Another interesting finding in this study is a significant decrease of CSF vitamin C in cases of acute purulent meningitis (12.3 +/- 4.8 versus 30.1 +/- 6.3 mg/l, p less than 0.05). These results, in connection with reports about high vitamin C concentrations in brain tissue, particularly in prematures, make one suspect important functions of this vitamin in physiological and pathological mechanisms in the central nervous system.