Serum L-Ascorbic Acid Concentration And Its Potential For Scavenging Of Reactive Oxygen Species In Acute, Uncomplicated, <italic>Falciparum</italic> Malaria Infection

Abstract

Introduction: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during falciparum malaria infection leading to serum lipid peroxidation which is known to overwhelm some of the body's major antioxidant defenses including vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Methods: The serum concentration of L-ascorbic acid was measured in 252 patients comprising of 90 adult males and 90 adult females (age range = 18-35 years), 34 male children and 34 female children (age range = 3-5years), presenting with acute, uncomplicated falciparum malaria infection and a control group of 76 healthy age-matched adults and 19 children. Results: Serum L-ascorbic acid concentration was found to be significantly elevated in all the patient groups relative to the control L-ascorbic acid concentration. The male and female adult patients had a serum L-ascorbic acid concentration of 1.07 ± 0.03 mg/dl and 1.24 ± 0.03 mg/dl, while the value was 0.53 ± 0.03 mg/dl in healthy adult controls, p < 0.05. Serum L-ascorbic acid concentrations in male and female children were 1.18 ± 0.03 mg/dl and 1.23 ± 0.02 mg/dl. These values are all higher than the serum L-ascorbic acid concentration of 0.55 ± 0.03 mg/dl in healthy children, p< 0.05. Conclusion:The increased serum L-ascorbic acid may arise as result of the mobilization of leukocyte L-ascorbic acid since leukocytes are known to increase in response to acute falciparum malaria infection. It could also be a compensatory homeostatic mechanism by the patients to offset the failure of the other antioxidant defenses during the disease.