Jalal Derkhshandeh, Koorosh Fooladsaz, Fereidoun Heydarpour
Department of Ophthalmology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zabjan, Iran.
Curr Eye Res. 2009 Feb;34(2):118-22. doi: 10.1080/02713680802632599.
Dietary antioxidant vitamins, in particular vitamin C, could play a role in preventing the onset or progression of age-related visual impairment. The aim of this study was to determine the plasma ascorbic acid levels in normal individuals and in senile cataract patients.
The test group included 50 cataract patients, while the control group members were selected among medical staff and patients' companions after age matching with the test group. Questionnaire forms contained age, sex, and location of residency (urban or rural) inquiries. Five milliliters of drawn blood was centrifuged, and plasma ascorbic acid level was measured by spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis of plasma ascorbic acid concentrations were done by paired test.
The mean plasma ascorbic acid level in the test group was 0.96 +/- 0.08 mg/dl and 1.12 +/- 0.15 mg/dl in the control group. Ascorbic acid level in the test group was significantly lower than the control group and p value = 0.00001. Aging had a reverse relation with plasma ascorbic acid level in males, while it showed no significant alterations in females. Rural compared with urban and females compared to males showed higher levels of plasma ascorbic acid.
This study revealed that plasma ascorbic acid level in cataract patients was lower than normal individuals. Antioxidant vitamins, in particular vitamin C, found in Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, can help with the prevention of cataracts, which is a major health service burden in many countries.
膳食抗氧化维生素，尤其是维生素C，可能在预防年龄相关性视力损害的发生或进展中发挥作用。本研究的目的是测定正常个体和老年性白内障患者的血浆维生素C水平。
试验组包括50例白内障患者，对照组在与试验组年龄匹配后从医务人员和患者家属中选取。问卷包含年龄、性别和居住地点（城市或农村）等问题。抽取5毫升血液进行离心，用分光光度计测量血浆维生素C水平。血浆维生素C浓度的统计分析采用配对检验。
试验组血浆维生素C平均水平为0.96±0.08毫克/分升，对照组为1.12±0.15毫克/分升。试验组维生素C水平显著低于对照组，p值=0.00001。衰老与男性血浆维生素C水平呈负相关，而与女性无显著变化。农村地区与城市地区相比，女性与男性相比，血浆维生素C水平更高。
本研究表明，白内障患者的血浆维生素C水平低于正常个体。地中海地区水果和蔬菜中含有的抗氧化维生素，尤其是维生素C，有助于预防白内障，而白内障是许多国家的一项主要卫生服务负担。
