European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

COPPER AND ASCORBIC ACID STATUS IN CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM LEPROSY

Prof. Rudra Nath Bhattacharya, Prof. Krishnajyoti Goswami* and Prof. Asok Bandyopadhyay

ABSTRACT

The abnormal pigment metabolism usually associated with leprosy led us to the study the biochemical role of ascorbic acid and vis-a-vis copper in this communicable disease. The subjects were all children aged between five to twelve years and chosen as no data are available in childhood leprosy of recent origin. Plasma dehydroascorbic acid, total copper, albumin bound copper, globulin bound copper, cerruloplasmin and serum γ - globulin were found to be increased with decreased level of plasma ascorbic acid and serum albumin in twenty two children suffering from lepromatous leprosy when compared with the data from twenty one normal child served as controls. The overall increases of copper content in all the compartments seems to be due to the lower level of ascorbic acid. It is suggested that a increased dehydroascorbic acid in leprosy could be related to its involvement in free radical metabolism.

Keywords: Ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, ceruloplasmin, leprosy, protein electrophoresis.