ABSTRACT
Olson1 categorized scurvy symptoms as systemic, hemorrhagic, psychologic, secretory, neurologic, hematologic, and connective tissue related. Moderate deficiency can lead to fatigue and irritability. The symptoms are more fully described in Table 5.1. Serum and leukocyte ascorbic acid concentrations are frequently used to assess human ascorbic acid status.4 Leukocyte concentrations are more reliable status indicators than serum, erythrocyte, or whole blood levels since short-term fluctuations in intake affect the leukocyte concentration to a lesser degree.5 Urinary excretion decreases as intake decreases and is highly reflective of recent intake. Even with 24 h urine collections, urinary levels are not a sensitive index of status. Chemical and liquid chromatographic techniques provide highly reliable measures of ascorbic acid in clinical samples. Vitamin C status based on serum concentrations (μmol L−1) are <11.4 (deficient), 11.4-23 (low), and >23 (adequate).5
