Serum Levels of Ascorbic Acid in Chronic  Alcoholic Patients (with and Without Liver  Damage) Attending De–Addiction Centre

Dr. Pratibha Chauhan; Dr. Girdharee Lal Saini

Volume : III, Issue : II, February - 2014

Serum Levels of Ascorbic Acid in Chronic Alcoholic Patients (with and Without Liver Damage) Attending De–Addiction Centre

Dr. Pratibha Chauhan, Dr. Girdharee Lal Saini

Abstract :

Background: Alcohol is one of the leading cause of preventable mortality in the world. Oxidative stress is proposed to be critically involved in numerous diseases, including Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD). Ethanol consumption causes a marked alteration of antioxidant metabolism in the liver, which renders the liver more susceptible to free radical attack. Methods: Blood samples were collected for estimating serum Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and antioxidant vitamin (Ascorbic acid). 41 subjects, ranging in age from 21 to 71 years were taken, out of which 16 were chronic alcoholics with liver damage, 15 were chronic alcoholics without liver damage and 10 were healthy controls (non-alcoholics). Statistical analysis was done among the controls and the two patient groups. Results: It was observed that there was a significant decrease in the serum ascorbic acid levels and increase in serum alanine amino transferase (ALT) in alcoholics with liver damage as compared to alcoholics without liver damage and healthy controls. Conclusions: The results of the present study confirms that chronic ethanol use enhances the hepatic consumption of antioxidant vitamin (Ascorbic acid), probably caused by increased formation of reactive oxygen species (free radicals), induced by ethanol.