ABSTRACT
Long term of high doses of vitamin C treatment might be a potential risk for the development of secondary oxalosis in end stage renal disease patients. Hyperoxalatemia may increase the risk of cardiac, vascular and bone diseases. Hemodialysis patients [HD] are at high risk for Scurvy disease due to dietary limitation and ascorbic acid losses through dialysis. Vitamin C also decreases HTN and accelerated arthrosclerosis. Thus, vitamin C supplementation is necessary for these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy of oral versus intravenous vitamin C on serum oxalate level in hemodialysis patients. This clinical-trial study was done on hemodialysis patients referred to the three treatment centers of Mazandaran Province. 41 HD patients, who had not consumed vitamin C for two months, were randomly divided into two groups, oral and intravenous. In intravenous [IV AA] group, vitamin C 500 mg/day was administered three times a week; and oral group received vitamin C 125 mg/day for two months. Oxalate serum level was measured before and after treatment. Individual, laboratory, and treatment complication data were gathered in a questionnaire. Intra group comparison was done with t-student test and inter group comparison was done with independent- sample t-test. Data were expressed as SE +/- Mean and p-value<0.05 was considered significant. Serum oxalate level in each group increased, there was no significant differences intra group and between two groups [p= 0.3] [in oral, from 1.8 +/- 0.4mgl/L to 1.85 +/- 0.8mgl/L, P=0.4 and in IVAA from 1.8 +/- 0.7mg/L to 2.1 +/- 0.9mg/L, P=0.3]. Oral and IV AA in the used dosage did not increase serum oxalate level and were safe to use as supplementation in HD patients