Serum Ascorbic Acid and Thiamine Concentrations in Sepsis: Secondary Analysis of the Swiss Pediatric Sepsis Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine circulating levels of ascorbic acid (VitC) and thiamine (VitB1) in neonates and children with blood culture-proven sepsis. DESIGN: Nested single-center study of neonates and children prospectively included in the Swiss Pediatric Sepsis Study. SETTING: One tertiary care academic hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-one neonates and children 0-16 years old. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: VitC and VitB1 were quantified in serum of patients (median age, 10.5 mo; interquartile range [IQR], 0.5-62.1 mo) with blood culture-proven sepsis. Median time between sepsis onset and sampling for measurement of vitamins was 3 days (IQR, 2-4 d). Median serum levels of VitC and VitB1 were 32.4 mu mol/L (18.9-53.3 mu mol/L) and 22.5 nmol/L (12.6-82 nmol/L); 36% of the patients (22/61) had low VitC and 10% (6/61) had VitC deficiency; and 72% (44/61) had low VitB1 and 13% (8/61) had VitB1 deficiency. Children with low VitC were older (p = 0.007) and had higher C-reactive protein (p = 0.004) compared with children with VitC within the normal range. Children with low VitB1 levels were older (p = 0.0009) and were less frequently receiving enteral or parenteral vitamin supplementation (p = 0.0000003) compared with children with normal VitB1 levels. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of newborns and children with sepsis, low and deficient VitC and VitB1 levels were frequently observed. Age, systemic inflammation, and vitamin supplementation were associated with vitamin levels during sepsis.

Automated summary

This study investigated the levels of ascorbic acid (VitC) and thiamine (VitB1) in newborns and children with blood culture-proven sepsis, and found that low and deficient levels of these vitamins were frequently observed. Age, systemic inflammation, and vitamin supplementation were associated with vitamin levels during sepsis.