IMPACT OF CHRONIC-HEMODIALYSIS TREATMENT ON WHOLE-BLOOD AND SERUM TOTAL DEHYDRO-ASCORBATE AND ASCORBATE CONCENTRATIONS IN SAUDI PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

Whole-blood and serum total ascorbate (TA), ascorbate (AA) and dehydro ascorbate (DA) levels of 44 healthy subjects (23 males and 21 females) and 36 chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) patients (24 males and 12 fem ales) undergoing regular chronic haemodialysis (HD) were investigated. CGN patients on regular HD displayed significantly lower levels of TA , AA and DA in both whole-blood and serum. The haemodialysis treatment seems to have a major impact on the levels of these metabolites. The mean pre-dialysis, whole-blood and serum levels of TA, AA and DA in pa tients were not significantly different from those of healthy subjects (p < 0.1). However, after HD treatment, whole-blood and serum levels of TA, AA and DA declined significantly (p < 0.001).