ABSTRACT
Ascorbic acid is normally present in the blood and tissues mostly in the reduced form, and there are only traces of dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), but it seems that in infections like typhoid fever the tissues have a lessened capacity to reduce DHAA formed in the body; thus, DHAA accumulates in the blood. One of the factors which may affect ascorbic acid metabolism in chronic infections is the increased blood copper level which is associated with many human disease states, including infection, as reported by Lahey et al. and Gubler. So it is possible that the ascorbic acid deficiency of infection may be related to the increase in plasma copper which averaged 40% per cent in 18 patients observed by Gubler. The mechanism by which infection causes such profound effects on ascorbic acid metabolism is not known, but some possibilities spring to mind.
