All issues > Volume 44(5); 2001

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2001;44(5):501-508. Published online May 15, 2001.

Whole Blood and Plasma Vitamin C Concentrations in Children of 1-6 Years of Age in the Chinju Area

Hyang-Ok HO Woo¹, Jin-Su JS Jun¹, Ji-Hoe JH Park¹, Young-Suk YS Kim¹, Eun-A EA Kim¹, Jae-Young JY Lim¹, Myoung-Bum MB Choi¹, Chan-Hoo CH Park¹, Hee-Shang HS Youn¹, Gyung-Hyuck GH Ko², Chan-Hoo CH Park³, Woo-Kon WK Lee³, Myung-Je MJ Cho³, Kwang-Ho KH Rhee³

¹Departments of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Chinju, Korea
²Departments of Pathology, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Chinju, Korea
³Departments of Microbiology, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Chinju, Korea

Correspondence Hee-Shang HS Youn ,Email: hsyoun@nongae.gsnu.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Vitamin C among antioxidants in human is a physiological antioxidant for protection against diseases. We measured the vitamin C concentrations of whole blood and plasma among children in early childhood at normal condition in order to know the presence of vitamin C deficiency.
Methods
: The venous blood was collected from 471 subjects at 1-6 years of ages in Chinju. Concentra- tions of vitamin C in whole blood and plasma were measured by the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method.
Results
: Concentrations of vitamin C in whole blood and plasma were 1.68mg/dL and 0.94mg/dL, respectively. While concentrations of vitamin C in the whole blood and plasma of males were 1.69 mg/dL and 0.92mg/dL, respectively. Those of females, were 1.68mg/dL and 1.00mg/dL, respectively. The concentrations did not significantly differ by gender. Concentrations of vitamin C in plasma were positively correlated with the age of the entire study group and of female(P=0.01). Percentages of subjects with vitamin C concentrations of the whole blood less than 1.0mg/dL were 1.9%, and those of the plasma of below 0.6mg/dL were 20.6%.
Conclusion
: Concentrations of vitamin C in whole blood and plasma did not show normal distribution. And there were no relationship among age, gender, and vitamin C concentrations at early childhood. A significant number of children in Chinju had suboptimal plasma vitamin C concentration. These findings suggest a need for an increased vitamin C intake in this area.

Keywords :Whole blood, Plasma, Vitamin C, Antioxidant, Child