scholarly journals High-dose intravenous vitamin C treatment for COVID-19

Author(s):  
Adnan Erol

COVID-19 pneumonia seems to be a lung injury caused by the hyperactivation immune effector cells. High-dose vitamin C may result in immunosuppression at the level of these effectors. Therefore, intravenous high-dose vitamin C could be safe and beneficial choice of treatment in the early stages of COVID-19.

Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Xin Rao ◽  
Yiming Li ◽  
Yuan Zhu ◽  
Fang Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundNo specific medication has been proven effective for the treatment of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we tested whether high-dose vitamin C infusion was effective for severe COVID-19.MethodsThis randomized, controlled clinical trial was performed at 3 hospitals in Hubei, China. Patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the ICU were randomly assigned in as 1:1 ratio to either the high-dose intravenous vitamin C (HDIVC) or the placebo. HDIVC group received 12 g of vitamin C/50 ml every 12 hours for 7 days at a rate of 12 ml/hour, and the placebo group received bacteriostatic water for injection in the same way. The primary outcome was invasive mechanical ventilation-free days in 28 days(IMVFD28). Secondary outcomes were 28-day mortality, organ failure, and inflammation progression.ResultsFifty-four critical COVID-19 patients were ultimately recruited. There was no difference in IMVFD28 between two groups. During the 7-day treatment period, patients in the HDIVC group had a steady rise in the PaO2/FiO2 (day 7: 229 vs. 151 mmHg, 95% CI 33 to 122, P = 0.01). Patients with SOFA scores ≥ 3 in the HDIVC group exhibited a significant reduction in 28-day mortality (P = 0.05) in univariate survival analysis. IL-6 in the VC group was lower than that in the placebo group (19.42 vs. 158.00; 95% CI -301.72 to -29.79; P = 0.04) on day 7.ConclusionThe addition of HDIVC may provide a protective clinical effect without any adverse events in critically ill patients with COVID-19.Clinicaltrial.gov identifer: NCT04264533


2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 634-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Sosman ◽  
P. Stiff ◽  
S.M. Moss ◽  
P. Sorokin ◽  
B. Martone ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves mobilization of immune effector cells into the stem-cell graft of patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autografting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a trial of stem-cell mobilization with IL-2 and G-CSF in advanced breast cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin and stem cells followed by IL-2. The trial defined immune, hematologic, and clinical effects of IL-2 in this setting. RESULTS: Of 32 patients enrolled, nine received G-CSF alone for mobilization. Twenty-one of 23 patients mobilized with IL-2 plus G-CSF had stem cells collected with more mononuclear cells than those receiving G-CSF (19.3 v 10.4 × 108/kg; P = .006), but fewer CD34+ progenitor cells (6.9 v 22.0 × 106/kg; P = .049). The IL-2 plus G-CSF–mobilized patients had greater numbers of activated T (CD3+/CD25+) cells (P = .009), natural killer (NK; CD56+) cells (P = .007), and activated NK (CD56 bright+) cells (P = .039) than those patients mobilized with G-CSF. NK (P = .042) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) (P = .016) activity was increased in those mobilized with IL-2 + G-CSF, whereas G-CSF–mobilized patients had a decline in cytolytic activity. In the third week posttransplantation, immune reconstitution was superior in those mobilized with IL-2 plus G-CSF based on greater numbers of activated T cells (P = .003), activated NK cells (P = .04), and greater LAK activity (P = .003). The 16 of 21 IL-2 + G-CSF–mobilized patients with adequate numbers of stem cells (> 1.5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) collected engrafted rapidly posttransplantation. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that G-CSF + IL-2 can enhance the number and function of antitumor effector cells in a mobilized autograft without impairing the hematologic engraftment, provided that CD34 cell counts are more than 1.5 × 106 cells/kg. Mobilization of CD34+ stem cells does seem to be adversely affected. In those mobilized with IL-2 and G-CSF, post–stem-cell immune reconstitution of antitumor immune effector cells was enhanced.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. TPS4115-TPS4115
Author(s):  
Feng Wang ◽  
Jian Xiao ◽  
Yan-Qiao Zhang ◽  
Xianglin Yuan ◽  
Weijia Fang ◽  
...  

TPS4115 Background: Previous studies showed that high dose vitamin C especially when administered intravenously might have anti-cancer effect. A recent preclinical study found that human colorectal cancer cells harboring KRAS or BRAF mutations are selectively killed by high dose vitamin C. Our phase I dose-escalation and expansion study has shown that high dose (up to 1.5g/kg) intravenous vitamin C with FOLFOX or FOLFIRI is well tolerated in patients with colorectal or gastric cancer. This trial is a randomized, multicenter, phase Ⅲ study of high dose vitamin C infusion combined with FOLFOX +/- bevacizumab versus FOLFOX +/- bevacizumab as first-line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Methods: This study has enrolled patients with histologically confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma of colorectum, normal G6PD status and no prior treatment for metastatic disease. 432 patients are randomized 1:1 into one of two groups. Patients in the control group are treated with mFOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m² d1 concurrent with leucovorin 400 mg/m², followed by bolus 5FU 400 mg/m² d1, followed by infusional 5FU 2400 mg/m² over 46 hours) with or without bevacizumab (5mg/kg, d1) every 2 weeks. Patients in the experimental group are treated with vitamin C intravenously (1.5g/kg/day, d1-3) in combination with mFOLFOX6 with or without bevacizumab every 2 weeks. Randomization is stratified by the location of primary site (left-sided or right-sided) and treatment with bevacizumab (with or without). The primary endpoint is progression free survival (assessed by investigator per RECIST v1.1). Secondary endpoints are overall survival, response rate, assessment of treatment-related adverse events, progression free survival and overall survival in RAS or BRAF mutant patients. Genome, microbiome and metabolome are also assessed. Clinical trial information: NCT02969681 .


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Zhen-Jie Hu ◽  
Sheng-Mei Ge ◽  
Yan Huo ◽  
...  

AbstractSepsis survivors present long-term cognitive deficits. The present study was to investigate the effect of early administration of high-dose vitamin C on cognitive function in septic rats and explore its possible cerebral protective mechanism. Rat sepsis models were established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Ten days after surgery, the Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate the behavior and cognitive function. Histopathologic changes in the hippocampus were evaluated by nissl staining. The inflammatory cytokines, activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase or SOD) and oxidative products (malondialdehyde or MDA) in the serum and hippocampus were tested 24 h after surgery. The activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) in the hippocampus were measured 24 h after surgery. Compared with the sham group in the Morris water maze test, the escape latency of sepsis rats was significantly (P = 0.001) prolonged in the navigation test, whereas the frequency to cross the platform and the time spent in the target quadrant were significantly (P = 0.003) reduced. High-dose vitamin C significantly decreased the escape latency (P = 0.01), but increased the time spent in the target quadrant (P = 0.04) and the frequency to cross the platform (P = 0.19). In the CLP+ saline group, the pyramidal neurons were reduced and distributed sparsely and disorderly, the levels of inflammatory cytokines of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 in the serum and hippocampus were significantly increased (P = 0.000), the blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability in the hippocampus was significantly (P = 0.000) increased, the activities of SOD in the serum and hippocampus were significantly (P = 0.000 and P = 0.03, respectively) diminished while the levels of MDA in the serum and hippocampus were significantly (P = 0.007) increased. High-dose vitamin C mitigated hippocampus histopathologic changes, reduced systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation, attenuated BBB disruption, inhibited oxidative stress in brain tissue, and up-regulated the expression of nuclear and total Nrf2 and HO-1. High-dose vitamin C significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor- (TNF)-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6), MDA in the serum and hippocampus, and the activity of MMP-9 in the hippocampus, but significantly (P < 0.05) increased the levels of SOD, the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in the serum and hippocampus, and nuclear and total Nrf2, and HO-1 in the hippocampus. In conclusion, high-dose vitamin C can improve cognition impairment in septic rats, and the possible protective mechanism may be related to inhibition of inflammatory factors, alleviation of oxidative stress, and activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.


2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 961-968
Author(s):  
Wolfgang J. Streit ◽  
Habibeh Khoshbouei ◽  
Ingo Bechmann

Microglia constitute the brain’s immune system and their involvement in Alzheimer’s disease has been discussed. Commonly, and in line with the amyloid/neuroinflammation cascade hypothesis, microglia have been portrayed as potentially dangerous immune effector cells thought to be overactivated by amyloid and producing neurotoxic inflammatory mediators that lead to neurofibrillary degeneration. We disagree with this theory and offer as an alternative the microglial dysfunction theory stating that microglia become impaired in their normally neuroprotective roles because of aging, i.e., they become senescent and aging neurons degenerate because they lack the needed microglial support for their survival. Thus, while the amyloid cascade theory relies primarily on genetic data, the dysfunction theory incorporates aging as a critical etiological factor. Aging is the greatest risk factor for the sporadic (late-onset) and most common form of Alzheimer’s disease, where fully penetrant genetic mutations are absent. In this review, we lay out and discuss the human evidence that supports senescent microglial dysfunction and conflicts with the amyloid/neuroinflammation idea.


Redox Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 101980
Author(s):  
Andree G. Pearson ◽  
Juliet M. Pullar ◽  
John Cook ◽  
Emma S. Spencer ◽  
Margreet CM. Vissers ◽  
...  

Hematology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 570-578
Author(s):  
Rafet Basar ◽  
May Daher ◽  
Katayoun Rezvani

Abstract T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have revolutionized the field of cell therapy and changed the paradigm of treatment for many patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. Despite this progress, there are limitations to CAR-T cell therapy in both the autologous and allogeneic settings, including practical, logistical, and toxicity issues. Given these concerns, there is a rapidly growing interest in natural killer cells as alternative vehicles for CAR engineering, given their unique biological features and their established safety profile in the allogeneic setting. Other immune effector cells, such as invariant natural killer T cells, γδ T cells, and macrophages, are attracting interest as well and eventually may be added to the repertoire of engineered cell therapies against cancer. The pace of these developments will undoubtedly benefit from multiple innovative technologies, such as the CRISPR-Cas gene editing system, which offers great potential to enhance the natural ability of immune effector cells to eliminate refractory cancers.


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