ascorbic-acid and Vasculitis

In severe sepsis and septic shock the severe impairment of the microcirculation is one of the main reasons for tissue hypoxia, multiple organ failure and death. Fast resuscitation of the microvascular blood flow to improve the reduced functional capillary density is necessary. Based scientific evidence, an early haemodynamic stabilisation directed by predefined haemodynamic and metabolic goals and the application of activated protein C (rhAPC) according to the guidelines could be recommended. The specific effects of dobutamine and rhAPC on the microcirculation as well as the effects selective inhibitors of iNOS or vasodilators may be therapeutic options in the future.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Dobutamine; Germany; Humans; Microcirculation; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Sepsis; Shock, Septic; Vasculitis; Vasodilator Agents

Reactive oxygen metabolic products derived from an activated NADPH oxidase present in the cell membrane of PMNs and mononuclear phagocytic cells play a critical role in the host's defense against bacterial infection. Recent studies have also demonstrated the ability of these toxic products to initiate eukaryotic cell injury and promote the development of the acute inflammatory responses. Experimental studies suggest that neutrophil-derived oxygen metabolites contribute to the development of the tissue injury associated with a variety of disease states, including emphysema, myocardial infarction, adult respiratory distress syndrome, immune complex-mediated vasculitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Future studies to define further the mechanisms by which reactive oxygen-derived metabolic products mediate tissue injury will provide insight into the development of new therapeutic strategies for the modulation of disease states that are mediated by the recruitment and activation of PMNs.

Topics: Animals; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Ascorbic Acid; Autoimmune Diseases; Ceruloplasmin; Chemotactic Factors; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Free Radicals; Humans; Immune Complex Diseases; Inflammation; Lipid Peroxides; Myocardial Infarction; NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; NADPH Oxidases; Neutrophils; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen; Pancreatic Elastase; Peroxidase; Peroxidases; Peroxides; Phagocytosis; Pulmonary Emphysema; Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Superoxide Dismutase; Superoxides; Vasculitis; Vitamin E

The objective of this study was to assess whether low-grade systemic inflammation might contribute to the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (sHT) and autoimmune thyroiditis.. sHT patients are characterized by peripheral endothelial dysfunction and low-grade inflammation.. In 53 sHT and 45 healthy subjects, we studied the forearm blood flow (strain-gauge plethysmography) response to intrabrachial acetylcholine (Ach) (0.15-15 microg/min.dl) with and without local vascular COX inhibition by intrabrachial indomethacin (50 microg/min.dl) or nitric oxide synthase blockade by N-mono methyl arginine (L-NMMA) (100 microg/min.dl) or the antioxidant vitamin C (8 mg/min.dl). The protocol was repeated 2 h after systemic nonselective COX inhibition (100 mg indomethacin) or selective COX-2 blockade (200 mg celecoxib) oral administrations.. sHT patients showed higher C-reactive protein and IL-6 values. In controls, vasodilation to Ach was blunted by L-NMMA and unchanged by vitamin C. In contrast, in sHT, the response to Ach, reduced in comparison with controls, was resistant to L-NMMA and normalized by vitamin C. In these patients, systemic but not local indomethacin normalized vasodilation to Ach and the inhibition of L-NMMA on Ach. Similar results were obtained with celecoxib. When retested after indomethacin administration, vitamin C no longer succeeded in improving vasodilation to Ach in sHT patients. Response to sodium nitroprusside was unchanged by indomethacin or celecoxib.. In sHT patients, low-grade chronic inflammation causes endothelial dysfunction and impaired nitric oxide availability by a COX-2-dependent pathway leading to increased production of oxidative stress.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Adult; Algorithms; Ascorbic Acid; Celecoxib; Cyclooxygenase 2; Endothelium, Vascular; Female; Forearm; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Indomethacin; Inflammation; Male; Membrane Proteins; Middle Aged; Nitric Oxide; Nitroprusside; Oxidative Stress; Pyrazoles; Regional Blood Flow; Sulfonamides; Vascular Diseases; Vasculitis; Vasodilation

Neutrophils when activated generate a respiratory burst which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of primary systemic vasculitis. Neutrophils from patients with vasculitis have a greater respiratory burst than normal healthy donors. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of antioxidant treatment (vitamins E and C) on the generation of a respiratory burst from neutrophils isolated from patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.. Neutrophils were isolated from patients with systemic vasculitis and healthy donors. Spontaneous superoxide generation was measured by the reduction of ferricytochrome c. The patients were treated with antioxidants, vitamins E and C, and spontaneous superoxide generation, vitamin C and total antioxidant capacity were measured before and after treatment.. The treatment of the patients with antioxidants resulted in a reduction in spontaneous superoxide generation (pre-treatment 8.41+/-0.7 nmol/10(6) cells; post-treatment 5.64+/-0.6 nmol/10(6) cells; P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the superoxide generation from normal controls who did not receive treatment, measured prior to commencement of the study and 10 days later (first reading 4.81+/-0.5 nmol/10(6) cells; second reading 5.32+/-0.4 nmol/10(6) cells; P>0.05). Total antioxidant capacity increased significantly following treatment with vitamins C and E (555.4+/-142 vs. 668.6+/-186 micromol/l trolox equivalent; P=0.01) as did vitamin C concentrations (56.5+/-27 vs. 137.7+/-64 micromol/l; P=0.002).. In this preliminary study, the treatment of patients with antioxidants, vitamins E and C, reduced neutrophil generation of superoxide and suggests that antioxidants may have an important role as adjuvant therapy. The evidence presented should form the basis of a larger randomized placebo-controlled trial of vitamins E and C as adjuvant therapy in patients with ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils; Superoxides; Vasculitis; Vitamin E

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Scurvy; Vasculitis

Ten patients with scurvy were evaluated by rheumatology; we review their clinical, laboratory, and dietary presentations. Eight patients had developmental delay or autism. All had elevated inflammatory markers. These clinical and laboratory features with imaging findings can mimic rheumatic conditions such as arthritis, vasculitis, and chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO).

Topics: Adolescent; Arthritis, Juvenile; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Autistic Disorder; Child; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Diet; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Male; Musculoskeletal Pain; Osteomyelitis; Rheumatology; Scurvy; Vasculitis; Young Adult

Topics: Alcoholic Intoxication; Ascorbic Acid; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Purpura; Scurvy; Vasculitis

Scurvy is a well-known disease of vitamin C deficiency that still occurs in industrialized countries. The clinical manifestations of follicular hyperkeratosis, perifollicular petechiae, corkscrew hairs, and easy bruising are due to defective collagen synthesis and can be mistaken for small vessel vasculitis. Populations at risk for development of scurvy include elderly patients, alcohol and drug users, individuals who follow restrictive diets or have eating disorders, patients with malabsorption, and individuals with mental illness. We report an acute case of scurvy presenting in the inpatient/hospital setting with clinical findings initially thought to represent vasculitis. A high index of suspicion for scurvy must be kept in the appropriate clinical context, and a thorough medical history and physical examination are vital to make the diagnosis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Ascorbic Acid; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Scurvy; Vasculitis

To measure the blood levels of oxygen and lipid-free radicals as lipid peroxidation products and of vitamins E, C and A, in order to explain intraocular inflammation, retinal neovascularization and detachment in Eales' disease.. Levels of the lipid peroxidation products produced by oxygen and lipid free radicals (estimated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances-TBARS), vitamin E with ferric chloride, vitamin C with 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol and vitamin A with antimony trichloride were all evaluated in three groups of subjects between 20 and 40 years of age. Twenty three were patients with Eales' disease in the active perivasculitis stage (Group I), 19 were patients with Eales' disease in the healed-perivasculitis stage (Group II), and 46 were healthy volunteers (Group III), used as normal controls. Patients in each group were subdivided into two age groups, 20-30 and 31-40 years, each group containing both sexes.. The results showed a 4.6- and 5.6-fold increase in the levels of TBARS in erythrocytes of patients with Eales' disease in the active perivasculitis stage (Group I) and a 2-fold increase in patients with Eales' disease in the healed perivasculitis stage (Group II), when compared to levels in the controls (Group III). On the other hand, there was a decrease of 75 and 76.2% in the levels of vitamin E in serum, 34 and 40.9% of vitamin C in plasma and 72.8 and 67% of vitamin A in serum in patients with Eales' disease in the active perivasculitis stage (Group I), as compared to the controls (Group III). Also decreases of 56 and 43.5% of vitamin E in serum, 26.8 and 12.5% of vitamin C in plasma and 50.5 and 49.4% of vitamin A in serum were found in patients with Eales' disease in the healed perivasculitis stage (Group II) as compared to the healthy controls (Group III). The two values of variations between the patients and the normal control group given above for TBARS, vitamins E,C and A are for the two age groups, 20-30 and 31-40 respectively. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01 to 0.001).. Lowered levels of antioxidant vitamins E and C and consequent accumulation of oxygen and lipid free radicals, or vice versa, could explain the inflammation, neovascularization and retinal pathology in patients with Eales' disease. Also, vitamin A deficiency could aggravate retinal illness.

Topics: Adult; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Female; Humans; Lipid Peroxides; Male; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Reactive Oxygen Species; Retinal Diseases; Retinitis; Vasculitis; Vitamin A; Vitamin E

Various conditions can imitate cutaneous vasculitis. Scurvy is a less appreciated cause of rash that can resemble vasculitis. Three patients were referred to our rheumatology service for "vasculitis," who subsequently were found to have scurvy. Findings included a purpuric skin rash, myalgias, and malaise. The patients had low vitamin C levels and findings on skin biopsy specimens indicative of scurvy. The three patients were on idiosyncratic diets deficient in vitamin C, and the two patients who allowed us to administer vitamin C therapy improved clinically. We emphasize the importance of a careful dietary history. Early recognition of scurvy is important because it can be treated specifically, and toxic treatment of vasculitis can be avoided.

Topics: Adult; Ascorbic Acid; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Assessment; Scurvy; Skin Diseases, Vascular; Vasculitis