A study of blood ascorbic acid in leprosy.

The basal level of blood ascorbic acid was studied in 70 cases of polar leprosy. The level was found to be significantly reduced in both polar types, more so in tuberculoid. In untreated cases of these two polar forms, the differences were highly significant. No significant differences were found between untreated and treated cases of either form of leprosy, indicating that dapsone (DDS) has no effect on the ascorbic acid level. In lepromatous leprosy, the level was not affected by erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). The deficiency of ascorbic acid in leprosy might be due to the disease per se and/or associated with nutritional factors. In trophic ulcers after supplement therapy for 60 days, the low level of ascorbic acid became close to the control group with marked improvement in the healing of the ulcers clinically. In addition, lactic and pyruvic acids were also measured and found to be significantly raised. After ascorbic acid supplement, the levels fell to near the control values, indicating that ascorbic acid played a role in controlling the infection as well as possible thiamine deficiency and also checked the disturbance caused by DDS on lactate and pyruvate metabolism. The present study suggested that supplementing DDS therapy with ascorbic acid might provide a beneficial effect on the general condition of the leprosy patients and the early healing of trophic ulcers.