title: Vitamin C deficiency: more than just a nutritional disorder.
abstract: Although vitamin C deficiency and scurvy are generally considered as pure nutritional disorders, only a minority of the vitamin C concentration is determined by food intake. In the presence of transition metals (iron and copper), the antiscorbutic factor shifts from an antioxidant to a pro-oxidant function. Haptoglobin (Hp) is a plasma α-2 glycoprotein characterized by 3 common phenotypes (Hp 1-1, Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2). Its free hemoglobin (Hb)-binding capacity prevents Hb-driven oxidative damage. When the antioxidant capacity of Hp is insufficient, its role is taken over by hemopexin (heme-binding protein) and by vitamin C (free radical scavenger). The Hp 2-2 phenotype has a lower capacity to inhibit oxidation and vitamin C depletion. In this article, two consequences of this major finding are tackled. The Hp polymorphism is an important non-nutritional modifying factor in the pathogenesis of vitamin C deficiency and scurvy, which may explain the success of long-range human migration by the natural selection of some populations characterized by high Hp 1 allele frequencies. Moreover, we propose tailoring the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) values of vitamin C, taking into consideration the Hp phenotype dependency.
authors: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, B 9000, Ghent, Belgium, Joris.Delanghe@ugent.be.
authors: Joris R
authors: JR
authors: Delanghe
authors: Michel R
authors: MR
authors: Langlois
authors: Marc L
authors: ML
authors: De Buyzere
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Na
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Ouyang
authors: Marijn M
authors: MM
authors: Speeckaert
authors: Mathieu A
authors: MA
authors: Torck
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