Vitamin C in normal human mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Human peripheral leukocytes from healthy donors have been isolated by means of a suitable separation method to obtain a high yield of lymphocytes and granulocytes with a very low contamination of platelets and red blood cells. Mononuclear cells so purified contain more than double amounts of vitamin C than polymorphonuclear cells. The difference between lymphocytes and granulocytes content also tends to be larger at increasing vitamin concentrations in total leukocytes. A higher level of vitamin C is displayed by the mononuclear cells obtained from women in respect to men, while no significant difference is found in the polymorphonuclear cells.