Vitamin C Deficiency Causes Cell Type-Specific Epigenetic Reprogramming and Acute Tubular Necrosis in a Mouse Model

Background: Vitamin C deficiency is found in patients with variable renal diseases. However, the role of vitamin C as an epigenetic regulator in renal homeostasis and pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Methods: We showed that vitamin C deficiency leads to acute tubular necrosis (ATN) using a vitamin C-deficient mouse model (Gulo knock-out). DNA/RNA epigenetic modifications and injured S3 proximal tubule cells were identified in the vitamin C-deficient kidneys using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Results: Integrated evidence suggested that epigenetic modifications affected the proximal tubule cells and fenestrated endothelial cells, leading to tubule injury and hypoxia through transcriptional regulation. Strikingly, loss of DNA hydroxymethylation and DNA hypermethylation in vitamin C-deficient kidneys preceded the histological sign of tubule necrosis, indicating the causality of vitamin C-induced epigenetic modification in ATN. Consistently, prophylactic supplementation of an oxidation-resistant vitamin C derivative, ascorbyl phosphate magnesium, promoted DNA demethylation and prevented the progression of cisplatin-induced ATN. Conclusions: Vitamin C played a critical role in renal homeostasis and pathogenesis in a mouse model, suggesting vitamin supplementation may be an approach to lower risk of kidney injury.

Vitamin C Deficiency May Delay Diet-Induced NASH Regression in the Guinea Pig

Oxidative stress is directly linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the progression to steaotohepatitis (NASH). Thus, a beneficial role of antioxidants in delaying disease progression and/or accelerating recovery may be expected, as corroborated by recommendations of, e.g., vitamin E supplementation to patients. This study investigated the effect of vitamin C deficiency—often resulting from poor diets low in fruits and vegetables and high in fat—combined with/without a change to a low fat diet on NAFLD/NASH phenotype and hepatic transcriptome in the guinea pig NASH model. Vitamin C deficiency per se did not accelerate disease induction. However, the results showed an effect of the diet change on the resolution of hepatic histopathological hallmarks (steatosis, inflammation, and ballooning) (p < 0.05 or less) and indicated a positive effect of a high vitamin C intake when combined with a low fat diet. Our data show that a diet change is important in NASH regression and suggest that a poor vitamin C status delays the reversion towards a healthy hepatic transcriptome and phenotype. In conclusion, the findings support a beneficial role of adequate vitamin C intake in the regression of NASH and may indicate that vitamin C supplementation in addition to lifestyle modifications could accelerate recovery in NASH patients with poor vitamin C status.

Disturbo della condotta alimentare, ecchimosi e carenza di vitamina C

The paper presents the case of a 16-year-old girl with a 6-month history of eating disorder, restrictive subtype and diffuse ecchymosis. Anamnestic history and laboratory investigations allowed excluding coagulation disorders and making the diagnosis of vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C deficiency is a rare disease but still sporadically described in children with unusual eating habits.

Vitamin C Improves Microvascular Reactivity and Peripheral Tissue Perfusion in Septic Shock Patients

Background Vitamin C has potential protective effects through anti-oxydant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of Vitamin C supplementation on microvascular function and peripheral tissue perfusion in human sepsis remains unknown. We aimed to determine vitamin C effect on microvascular endothelial dysfunction and peripheral tissue perfusion in septic shock patients. Methods Patients with septic shock were prospectively included after initial resuscitation. Bedside peripheral tissue perfusion and skin microvascular reactivity in response to acetylcholine iontophoresis in the forearm area were measured before and 1 hour after intravenous Vitamin C supplementation (40 mg/kg). Norepinephrine dose was not modified during the studied period. Results We included 30 patients with septic shock. SOFA score was 11 [8–14], SAPS II was 66 [54-79] and in-hospital mortality was 33%. Half of these patients had vitamin C deficiency at inclusion. Vitamin C supplementation strongly improved microvascular reactivity (AUC 2263 [430-4246] vs 5362 [1744-10585] UI, p=0.0004). In addition, Vitamin C supplementation improved mottling score (p=0.06), finger-tip (p=0.0003) and knee capillary refill time (3.7 [2.6-5.5] vs 2.9 [1.9-4.7] s, p<0.0001), as well as and central-to-periphery temperature gradient (6.1 [4.9-7.4] vs 4.6 [3.4-7.0] °C, p<0.0001). The beneficial effects of Vitamin C were observed both in patients with or without Vitamin C deficiency. Conclusion In resuscitated septic shock patients, vitamin C supplementation improved peripheral tissue perfusion and microvascular reactivity whatever plasma levels of vitamin C.

Clinical and Molecular Characteristics Associated with Vitamin C Deficiency in Myeloid Malignancies; Real World Data from a Prospective Cohort

Background: Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin required for many redox reactions in our body and its deficiency causes scurvy, a well characterized disease with multiple hematological manifestations. Studies dating back to 1950's demonstrated that patients with myeloid neoplasms tend to have lower plasma levels of vitamin C than healthy controls. Recent studies have shown that as much as 80% of patients with hematological malignancies in a cohort from Denmark had low vitamin C levels. Myeloid neoplasms tend to harbor mutations in epigenetic regulators which play a role in DNA methylation. One such mutation commonly seen in myeloid neoplasms and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is TET2 for which vitamin C serves as a cofactor. There is a scarcity of clinical data on patients with low vitamin C level in myeloid neoplasms. Our study investigated the rates of vitamin C deficiency and the disease clinical and genomic characteristics associated with it at our center. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from a prospectively maintained list of patients treated for myeloid neoplasms at a large tertiary cancer center on whom vitamin C levels where serially collected during the study period. We obtained multiple baseline characteristics at the time of diagnosis including cytogenetic and molecular mutational data. Baseline characteristics were defined using descriptive statistics. Categorical variables were compared using a Fisher's exact test and continuous variables were analyzed using Mann Whitney U test for statistical significance. Institutional review board approval was obtained for the study. Statistical analysis was done using R Studio version 1.4.1717. Results: A total of 50 patients with myeloid neoplasms were identified with vitamin C levels available at least once during the study period. Nine (18%) patients had a low vitamin C level (LOW) defined as less than 0.4 mg/dl as per the Mayo lab testing with a reference range between 0.4 to 2.0 mg/dl. Baseline characteristics of patients with low vitamin C level and patients with normal vitamin C level (NORMAL) are shown in Table 1. The median vitamin C level in the LOW group was 0.2 mg/dl and NORMAL group was 1 mg/dl (p &lt;0.001). The median age at diagnosis for patients in the LOW cohort was 64 years compared to 72 years for patients with normal vitamin C level (p = 0.015). Twenty-two (53.6%) of patients were female in the NORMAL cohort while six patients (66.7%) were females in the LOW cohort (p=NS). In the vitamin C LOW group only 55% of the patients were white compared to 83% in the NORMAL group (p = 0.093). The majority of patients in the Vit C LOW group had acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 44.5%, compared to 9.8% in the group with normal vitamin C levels (p = 0.03). Median white blood cell count, platelet counts, peripheral blast count and bone marrow blast count were not statistically significant amongst the 2 groups. Majority of patients in both groups 56.1% (NORMAL) vs 77.8% (LOW) had normal cytogenetics at the time of diagnosis (p = 0.284). There was a higher tendency to harbor ASXL1 and IDH2 mutation in the cohort with LOW levels 44.5% (p = 0.09) and 22.2% (p value = 0.143) compared to 17% and 4.8% respectively in the NORMAL cohort. Conclusions: Our analysis of the baseline characteristics of patients with myeloid neoplasms with vitamin C levels reveals interesting findings including a lower age at diagnosis for patients with low vitamin C levels and higher proportion of patients with acute myeloid leukemia compared to the cohort with normal levels. We also noted a higher tendency for occurrence of certain molecular mutations including ASXL1 and IDH2 among the patients with low vitamin C level. With recent papers implicating the role of ASXL1 in leukaemogenesis these findings suggest the hypothesis that vitamin C deficiency could accelerate clonal evolution with a higher tendency to transform into acute leukemia at a lower age. Further multi-institutional studies are needed to understand the relevance of low vitamin C level in myeloid neoplasms and the role of therapeutic vitamin C supplementation to retard leukaemogenesis. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Patel: Celgene-BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PVI: Honoraria. Awan: Cardinal Health: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy; Johnson and Johnson: Consultancy; Astrazeneca: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Dava Oncology: Consultancy; Verastem: Consultancy; ADCT therapeutics: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; MEI Pharma: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Kite pharma: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Gilead sciences: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. Anderson: Celgene, BMS, Janssen, GSK, Karyopharm, Oncopeptides, Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Madanat: Blue Print Pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Stem line pharmaceutical: Honoraria; Onc Live: Honoraria; Geron Pharmaceutical: Consultancy.

Scurvy: A Case Report

Scurvy is a rare case found in many countries, but it is often found in refugeeareas, especially in Africa. Vitamin C deficiency varies based on season and occursmore in men with age. The purpose of this research is to avoid misdiagnosis so thatit can be a reference in the field of medicine to diagnose and provide managementon scurvy. This prospective research was conducted with one sample of research.Observation had been carried out for two months, starting at one month after thepatient was suspected with the diagnosis of scurvy. Computer Tomography (CT)Scan lumbosacral to pelvic results were normal. Laboratory test of HB result was9.5 g/dl, in which MCV was 63.2 fL, MCH was 20.3 pg, and MCHC was 32.1 g/dl.Scurvy treatment in the first visit was 3x1 tablets vitamin C, 3x5 ml ibuprofen Syr,and physiotherapy. The results were that the patient still suffered swollen andbleeding gums, but the pain no longer existed, pale, behavioural disorders, unableto walk, and pain in both knees. After the second visit, the child got therapy of 4x50mg vitamin C, 1x1 tablets vitamin B12, 1x150 IU vitamin E, 1x1 tablets cavit D3,and physiotherapy. After two weeks of treatment, there were no complaints ofswelling, painful or bleeding gums. The child could straighten her legs, but she wasstill unable to walk due to the trauma of feeling great pain while walking. Specialattention is required to diagnose appropriately so the doctor can minimize andprevent complications.