High-Dose Vitamin C Injection to Cancer Patients May Promote Thrombosis Through Procoagulant Activation of Erythrocytes

• DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfv133
• Publication Date: 2015-07-03T15:11:14Z
• Authors: Keunyoung Kim; Ok-Nam Bae; Sung-Hee Koh; Seojin Kang; Kyung-Min Lim; Ji-Yoon Noh; Sue Shin; Inho Kim; Jin-Ho Chung
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; Erythrocytes; Leukemia; Thrombosis; Ascorbic Acid; Vitamins; Flow Cytometry; Glutathione; Hemolysis; Rats; 3. Good health; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; 03 medical and health sciences; Adenosine Triphosphate; Neoplasms; Injections, Intravenous; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Animals; Humans; Calcium; Reactive Oxygen Species; Blood Coagulation

Potential risk of high-dose vitamin C consumption is often ignored. Recently, gram-dose being intravenously injected for the treatment cancer, which can expose circulating blood cells to extremely high concentrations C. As well as platelets, red (RBCs) actively participate in thrombosis through procoagulant activation. Here, we examined and prothrombotic risks associated with intravenous injection Vitamin (0.5-5 mM) increased activity freshly isolated human RBCs via externalization phosphatidylserine (PS) outer cellular membrane formation PS-bearing microvesicles. PS exposure was induced by dysregulation key enzymes maintenance phospholipid asymmetry, from C-induced oxidative stress, resultant disruption calcium thiol homeostasis. Indeed, (0.5-1.0 g/kg) rats vivo significantly thrombosis. Notably, effects were more prominent cancer patients, who are at thrombotic events. activation RBCs, vivo. patients exhibited sensitivity C, reflecting that therapy needs be carefully revisited.