Korean Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition  2001;4(2):167-174

Relationship between Intussusception and Vitamin C Concentrations of Whole Blood and Plasma.

Ji Hyoun SEO 1 ; Jeum Su KIM ; Ji Young HWANG ; Jin Su JUN ; Ji Hoe PARK ; Eun A KIM ; Jae Young LIM ; Myoung Bum CHOI ; Chan Hoo PARK ; Hyang Ok WOO ; Hee Shang YOUN

Affiliations

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Keywords

Intussusception; Vitamin C

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

PURPOSE: Adenovirus infection with swollen Peyer patches in the ileum, known as one of the causes of intussusception, may cause vitamin C depletion in human body because vitamin C is a first line antioxidant. Or low vitamin C status in human body makes the man more susceptible to infection of adenovirus in the ileum with a markedly swollen lymph node. In this study, we tried to find out the relationship between pediatric intussusceptions and vitamin C concentrations of whole blood and plasma. METHODS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of fifty-seven patients with intussusceptions from May 1995 to December 1998 at the Gyeongsang National University Hospital were compared with those of 256 normal healthy children. Vitamin C was measured by the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine methods. RESULTS: The average age of patients (male=39, female=18) with intussusceptions was fifteen months of age. Whole blood vitamin C concentrations of patients and healthy children were 1.49+/-0.64 mg/dL, and 2.18+/-0.49 mg/dL, respectively. Plasma vitamin C concentrations of patients and healthy children were 0.59+/-0.36 mg/dL, 1.47+/-0.56 mg/dL, respectively. But no differences in the vitamin C concentrations of whole blood and plasma according to age, degree of leukocytosis, fever, interval from onset, hematochezia, and need for operation were found. CONCLUSION: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of patients with intussusceptions were lower than those of healthy children (P=0.0001). Prospective studies are needed to elucidate whether these results were consequences or causes of intussusceptions.