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Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Jul 2023Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin, that plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of scurvy. As vitamin C is an antioxidant and thyroid... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin, that plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of scurvy. As vitamin C is an antioxidant and thyroid function may be affected and may affect vitamin C levels, for the first time, we aimed to provide a detailed review of all human studies evaluating the different roles of vitamin C in the thyroid gland. Thyroid cancers, goitre, Graves' disease and other causes of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were the conditions discussed in this study. Furthermore, vitamin C addition to other medications such as levothyroxine was also reviewed.
METHODS
In this study, we reviewed the relevant literature regarding the association between vitamin C and thyroid diseases using original studies from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science.
RESULTS
In this review, we found anti-cancer effects for intravenous (IV) administration of vitamin C in addition to the beneficial effects of using it in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. As autoimmune diseases affect some antioxidant markers, some studies reported a significant difference in blood vitamin C levels in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Graves' disease. Despite many studies evaluating the effects of IV administration of vitamin C in mentioned diseases, there is a lack of evidence for oral consumption of vitamin C.
CONCLUSIONS
To conclude, there is a lack of evidence, especially clinical trials, for the therapeutic effects of vitamin C on thyroid diseases; however, promising results were reported in some studies in the literature.
Topics: Humans; Ascorbic Acid; Antioxidants; Graves Disease; Thyroid Diseases; Vitamins
PubMed: 37246589
DOI: 10.1002/edm2.432 -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Dec 2023The bacterial family (the lactobacilli) occupy a unique role in microbiology due to their beneficial role in both human cultural history and biology, from the food...
The bacterial family (the lactobacilli) occupy a unique role in microbiology due to their beneficial role in both human cultural history and biology, from the food preservation of hunter gatherers-turned-farmers, through the prevention of scurvy in seafarers exploring new worlds, and the health-promoting properties of species that colonize the human body as well as animals that are important for agriculture and pollination. The almost bewildering phenotypic and genomic complexity of the former genus was recently reconciled with molecular taxonomy and phylogeny to establish robust genera comprising the , whose main features are summarized in this Microbe Profile.
Topics: Lactobacillaceae; Probiotics
PubMed: 38088348
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001414 -
EJHaem Aug 2023
PubMed: 37601864
DOI: 10.1002/jha2.751 -
Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal May 2024Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is rare but poses risks for children with poor diets, limited resources, or malabsorption issues. It may also be common in children with...
BACKGROUND
Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is rare but poses risks for children with poor diets, limited resources, or malabsorption issues. It may also be common in children with restrictive or selective dietary habits in children with global developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and physical disabilities. Symptoms include fatigue, irritability, joint and muscle pain, joint swellings, edema, swollen gums, easy bruising, and delayed wound healing. Early recognition and prompt intervention are essential to prevent the progression of symptomatic vitamin C deficiency in children.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present a case of a 13-year-old boy with developmental delay secondary to Lennox Gastaut syndrome referred for suspected recurrent, severe, and atypical IgA vasculitis. He presented with irritability, loss of appetite, petechial and ecchymotic lower limb lesions, unilateral gum swelling, severe arthritis, peripheral oedema, severe weight loss, anaemia, and raised inflammatory markers. Multiple investigations were performed before the diagnosis of scurvy was made. A surgical finding of friable gingival tissue with multiple loose teeth, a skin biopsy with follicular hyperkeratosis and extravasated perifollicular red blood cells, and a typical X-ray finding led to the diagnosis of scurvy.
CONCLUSION
Scurvy should be given careful consideration as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with musculoskeletal issues, mucocutaneous complaints, and constitutional symptoms such as malaise, asthenia, irritability, and loss of appetite. A focused and detailed dietary history looking for a lack of good sources of vitamin C can be an easy indicator of this differential. Imaging studies revealing the typical features can also help make the diagnosis. Pathology of the skin revealing pathognomonic features can add to the certainty of the diagnosis. In the absence of all else, the rapid response to treatment with an appropriate dose of vitamin C has a diagnostic and therapeutic role.
Topics: Humans; Scurvy; Male; Adolescent; Diagnosis, Differential; Ascorbic Acid; IgA Vasculitis
PubMed: 38760753
DOI: 10.1186/s12969-024-00992-2 -
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine Sep 2023The increasing volume of research submissions to academic journals poses a significant challenge for traditional peer-review processes. To address this issue, this study... (Review)
Review
The increasing volume of research submissions to academic journals poses a significant challenge for traditional peer-review processes. To address this issue, this study explores the potential of employing ChatGPT, an advanced large language model (LLM), developed by OpenAI, as an artificial intelligence (AI) reviewer for academic journals. By leveraging the vast knowledge and natural language processing capabilities of ChatGPT, we hypothesize it may be possible to enhance the efficiency, consistency, and quality of the peer-review process. This research investigated key aspects of integrating ChatGPT into the journal review workflow. We compared the critical analysis of ChatGPT, acting as an AI reviewer, to human reviews for a single published article. Our methodological framework involved subjecting ChatGPT to an intricate examination, wherein its evaluative acumen was juxtaposed against human-authored reviews of a singular published article. As this is a feasibility study, one article was reviewed, which was a case report on scurvy. The entire article was used as an input into ChatGPT and commanded it to "Please perform a review of the following article and give points for revision." Since this was a case report with a limited word count the entire article could fit in one chat box. The output by ChatGPT was then compared with the comments by human reviewers. Key performance metrics, including precision and overall agreement, were judiciously and subjectively measured to portray the efficacy of ChatGPT as an AI reviewer in comparison to its human counterparts. The outcomes of this rigorous analysis unveiled compelling evidence regarding ChatGPT's performance as an AI reviewer. We demonstrated that ChatGPT's critical analyses aligned with those of human reviewers, as evidenced by the inter-rater agreement. Notably, ChatGPT exhibited commendable capability in identifying methodological flaws, articulating insightful feedback on theoretical frameworks, and gauging the overall contribution of the articles to their respective fields. While the integration of ChatGPT showcased immense promise, certain challenges and caveats surfaced. For example, ambiguities might present with complex research articles, leading to nuanced discrepancies between AI and human reviews. Also figures and images cannot be reviewed by ChatGPT. Lengthy articles need to be reviewed in parts by ChatGPT as the entire article will not fit in one chat/response. The benefits consist of reduction in time needed by journals to review the articles submitted to them, as well as an AI assistant to give a different perspective about the research papers other than the human reviewers. In conclusion, this research contributes a groundbreaking foundation for incorporating ChatGPT into the pantheon of journal reviewers. The delineated guidelines distill key insights into operationalizing ChatGPT as a proficient reviewer within academic journal frameworks, paving the way for a more efficient and insightful review process.
Topics: Humans; Feasibility Studies; Artificial Intelligence
PubMed: 37780993
DOI: 10.59249/SKDH9286 -
Health Science Reports Oct 2023Scurvy is a rare nutritional deficiency disease which is less likely to be suspected and it mostly lead to delayed diagnosis. It can present with features which can...
Scurvy is a rare nutritional deficiency disease which is less likely to be suspected and it mostly lead to delayed diagnosis. It can present with features which can mislead clinicians to misdiagnose the condition as leukemia or aplastic anemia. This can subject patients to the wrong management which leads to poor outcome and increased preventable morbidity and mortality. Vitamin C deficiency is still prevalent among pediatric population even in the modern days and should no longer be considered as historical condition. Chromosomal fragility has been greatly accounted for the development of leukemia and aplastic anemia secondary to various triggers. The role of vitamin C toward DNA stability, prevention, and control of mutations have been documented. Vitamin C plays a vital role in hematopoiesis by controlling regulation and prevent dysfunction of hematopoietic stem cells. Scurvy deficiency has been a silent growing clinical problem which needs a high index of suspicion for a clinician to pick it. It should be considered as one among potential differential diagnosis of leukemia and aplastic anemia especially in the pediatric population. History of any dietary restriction should be obtained and addressed properly. Serum vitamin C should be among the essential laboratory workout in diagnosis of both leukemia and aplastic anemia. All patients suspected to have such conditions should be screened and supplemented for vitamin C deficiency irrespective of positive confirmatory test results of leukemia or aplastic anemia since the probability of co-occurrence is likely also. Moreover, studies should be conducted to explore the clinical link, if any, between vitamin C deficiency or insufficiency and development of leukemia and aplastic anemia among the pediatric population given its physiological and genomic role in hematopoiesis. Furthermore, the potential pharmacological therapeutic use of vitamin C in treatment of leukemia and aplastic anemia should be determined clinically.
PubMed: 37808934
DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1611 -
Gut Microbes Dec 2023spp. are the causative agents of bacterial dysentery and shigellosis, mainly in children living in developing countries. The study of entire life cycle and the...
spp. are the causative agents of bacterial dysentery and shigellosis, mainly in children living in developing countries. The study of entire life cycle and the evaluation of vaccine candidates' protective efficacy have been hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model of infection. None of the studies evaluated so far (rabbit, guinea pig, mouse) allowed the recapitulation of full shigellosis symptoms upon oral challenge. Historical reports have suggested that dysentery and scurvy are both metabolic diseases associated with ascorbate deficiency. Mammals, which are susceptible to infection (humans, non-human primates and guinea pigs) are among the few species unable to synthesize ascorbate. We optimized a low-ascorbate diet to induce moderate ascorbate deficiency, but not scurvy, in guinea pigs to investigate whether poor vitamin C status increases the progression of shigellosis. Moderate ascorbate deficiency increased shigellosis symptom severity during an extended period of time (up to 48 h) in all strains tested (, 5a, and 2a). At late time points, an important influx of neutrophils was observed both within the disrupted colonic mucosa and in the luminal compartment, although was able to disseminate deep into the organ to reach the sub-mucosal layer and the bloodstream. Moreover, we found that ascorbate deficiency also increased penetration into the colon epithelium layer in a Gulo mouse infection model. The use of these new rodent models of shigellosis opens new doors for the study of both infection strategies and immune responses to infection.
Topics: Guinea Pigs; Humans; Animals; Rabbits; Mice; Dysentery, Bacillary; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Shigella; Disease Models, Animal; Shigella flexneri; Ascorbic Acid; Mammals
PubMed: 37876025
DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2271597 -
Nutrition and Health Sep 2023The discovery of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is related to the ancient history of persistent research on the origins of the haemorrhagic disease scurvy. Vitamin C is an... (Review)
Review
The discovery of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is related to the ancient history of persistent research on the origins of the haemorrhagic disease scurvy. Vitamin C is an important nutrient that aids in a variety of biological and physiological processes. Scientists have been researching the function of vitamin C in the prevention and ailment of sepsis and pneumonia for decades. This has created a potential platform for applying these results to individuals suffering from severe coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Vitamin C's ability to activate and enhance the immune system makes it a promising treatment in the present COVID-19 pandemic. Vitamin C also aids in the activation of vitamin B, the production of certain neurotransmitters, and the transformation of cholesterol into bile acids. Hence, vitamin C is used for the treatment of many diseases. This review highlights the Vitamin C investigations that are performed by various researchers on patients with COVID 19 infection, the clinical studies and their observations. The authors have additionally updated information on the significance of vitamin C insufficiency, as well as its relevance and involvement in diseases such as cancer, wound healing, iron deficiency anaemia, atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we discuss them with the references. The method used in order to perform literature search was done using SciFinder, PubMed and ScienceDirect. There is a potential role of vitamin C in various diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, COVID-19 and other diseases and the results are highlighted in the review with the help of clinical and preclinical data. More research on vitamin C and the undergoing clinical trials might prove a potential role of vitamin C in protecting the population from current COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: Humans; Ascorbic Acid; COVID-19; Pandemics; Vitamins; Antioxidants
PubMed: 36445072
DOI: 10.1177/02601060221139628