Effect of vitamin ‘C’ on C-reactive protein in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis

Background and objectives Chronic inflammation is the most important cause of cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), and vitamin C – as a major antioxidant – could be effective to suppress inflammation. This study was done to determine the effect of vitamin C on C‑reactive protein (CRP) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on HD. Patients and methods The study included 80 adult patients with ESRD on regular HD who were divided randomly into two groups: In the intervention group, 250 mg of vitamin C was injected intravenously immediately at the end of each HD session three times a week for 8 weeks. In the control group, no intervention was performed. Level of CRP was measured at the baseline and at the end of the study in all patients. Results The mean age of enrolled patients was 53.98 ± 7.93 years. Out of the studied group; 62 (51.6%) patients were women. The most frequent cause of nephropathy was diabetes mellitus followed by combined diabetes and hypertension. As regards baseline level of CRP, there was no significant difference between the two studied groups. The level of CRP at the end of the study was significantly low in the intervention group (7.8 ± 6.1 mg/dl) in comparison to the control group (17.3 ± 12.2 mg/dl). Conclusion Intravenous supplementation of vitamin C in patients with ESRD on HD may modify the level of CRP and hence may protect against cardiovascular disease complications in such patients.