Observations on Excretion of Vitamin C in Some Vascular Diseases.

Abstract

The urinary excretion of vitamin C by normal individuals has been studied by Harris, Ray, and Ward, and was found to average about 0.03 mg. per cubic centimeter of urine for 24 hours.What role, if any, vitamin C plays in the evolution of pathological states associated with vascular damage and hemorrhagic tendencies other than in scurvy is still unknown.Studies were therefore undertaken upon the excretion of vitamin C in the urine in certain pathological conditions. The rate of vitamin C excretion following the intravenous administration of 100 mg. of cevitamic acid (vitamin C) was also studied. Here are presented the results of these studies upon cases of various types of purpura, metrorrhagias, and 2 cases of acute lupus erythematosus, all of which conditions are associated with tendency to hemorrhage and with a greater or lesser degree of vascular damage.In the titration of cevitamic acid 2:6-dichlorophenolindophenol was used as the indicator.In comparing the values for vitamin C excretion in normal uri...