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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Year : 2012  |  Volume : 1  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 58

Hyperferritinemia due to megadose vitamin C supplementation as alternative cancer therapy regimen


1 Nutrition Clinic, Maefahluang Hospital University, Bangkok, Thailand
2 Visiting Professor, Hainan Medical University, China

Date of Web Publication3-Apr-2012

Correspondence Address:
Kamol Chaiyasit
Nutrition Clinic, Maefahluang Hospital University, Bangkok
Thailand
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/2278-019X.94629

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How to cite this article:
Chaiyasit K, Wiwanitkit V. Hyperferritinemia due to megadose vitamin C supplementation as alternative cancer therapy regimen. J Med Nutr Nutraceut 2012;1:58

How to cite this URL:
Chaiyasit K, Wiwanitkit V. Hyperferritinemia due to megadose vitamin C supplementation as alternative cancer therapy regimen. J Med Nutr Nutraceut [serial online] 2012 [cited 2024 Mar 30];1:58. Available from: http://www.jmnn.org/text.asp?2012/1/1/58/94629

Sir,

Vitamin C is a good antioxidant and it is presently widely used as an alternative and additional therapy regimen. Here, the authors would like to present an interesting case of hyperferritinemia in a patient. The patient is a 48-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer stage IIIB. The interesting laboratory finding in this patient is the unexplained arising of high ferritin level (482.9 ng/mL, normal value 0-150 ng/mL). The other hematologic parameters are normal. The question is what the cause of hyperferritinemia is. After complete history taking, the patient had got megadose vitamin C (more than 20 g) for 6 months. This is believed to be the cause of unexplained high ferretin level. Although there is a report confirming that a single high dose of vitamin C administration [1] does not affect iron metabolism, it does not mean the same for a continuous high dose administration. Of interest is a previous publication in Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl that reported no problem on using a standard dose (300 mg) of vitamin C, which led to a totally different observation-decreased ferretin level. [2] Focusing on biochemistry principle, hyperferritinemia in this case might be due to overstimulation of erythropoietin due to vitamin C [2] or other previous underlying disorders that are not detected. A further study on the exact mechanism is hereby recommended. It is suggested that although a standard dose of vitamin C can be a useful alternative and additional therapy, the excessive high dose can be problematic.

 
  References Top

1.Colpo E, de Bem AF, Pieniz S, Schettert SD, dos Santos RM, Farias IL, et al. A single high dose of ascorbic acid and iron is not correlated with oxidative stress in healthy volunteers. Ann Nutr Metab 2008;53:79-85.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.Shahrbanoo K, Taziki O. Effect of intravenous ascorbic acid in hemodialysis patients with anemia and hyperferritinemia. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl 2008;19:933-6.  Back to cited text no. 2
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