Accelerated Oxidative Catabolism of Ascorbic Acid in Siderotic Bantu

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Abstract
Scurvy in the Johannesburg Bantu population is seen almost exclusively in adults with severe siderosis. For this reason the excretion of ascorbic acid and some of its oxidation products was measured in the urine of 10 volunteers with severe iron overload and 10 nonsiderotic controls before and after loading with ascorbic acid. In addition, the plasma clearance of ascorbic acid was studied in three siderotic subjects and in five control subjects. Siderotic subjects showed lower ascorbic acid excretion, higher oxalic acid excretion, and a more rapid plasma clearance of ascorbic acid than did nonsiderotic controls. This was noted before and after loading with the vitamin. The evidence supports the hypothesis that the oxidative catabolism of ascorbic acid is accelerated in Johannesburg Bantu adults with severe iron overload.

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