PLASMA COPPER AND ASCORBIC ACID STATUS IN LEPROSY: EFFECT OF ASCORBIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION
Prof. Rudra Nath Bhattacharya, Prof. Krishnajyoti Goswami* and Prof. Asok Bandyopadhyay
ABSTRACT
Ascorbic acid plays an important role in the control of inflammation induced by reactive oxygen species as well as improves the immune response against the pathogens. Thus, its decreased level in the body may initiate an increased oxidative stress and complication in infectious diseases including leprosy. Along with other micronutrients. Copper is also involved in free radical metabolism and metabolically related to ascorbic acid. These findings led us to study the interrelationship between copper and ascorbic acid status in tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy. Besides the change in ascorbic acid/ dehydroascorbic acid ratio, plasma copper with its fractions and ceruloplasmin were also found to be increased in leprosy with a higher level in lepromatous variety in comparison to tuberculoid variety. In a parallel study, these groups were treated with one gm of ascorbic acid orally three times a day for fifteen days and the parameters as described were noted before and after the treatment. Increased plasma ascorbic acid with no change in dehydroascorbic acid level, decrease in ceruloplasmin, total copper and its complex with albumin were observed mainly in lepromatous leprosy after the treatment along with an increased output of urinary ascorbic acid. The daily output of urinary oxalate in these patients did not alter much before and after the treatment. The importance of dehydroascorbic acid in leprosy could be related to its involvement in free radical metabolism.
Keywords: Leprosy, dehydroascorbic acid, copper, urinary oxalate. Ceruloplasmin.
[Full Text Article]
[Download Certificate]
Impact Factor : 8.181 
