[Ascorbic acid in the plasma and blood cells of women with breast cancer. The effect of the consumption of food with an elevated content of this vitamin].

The levels of ascorbic acid in plasma and in blood cells (erythrocytes, neutrophils, and platelets) was studied in a group of 30 women with recent onset of breast cancer, and they were compared with a group of 30 healthy women, thus establishing the possible correlations between them. At the same time, these levels were related to the frequency of consumption of foods with a high content of this vitamin (fruits, potatoes, and vegetables). The women with breast cancer present plasma levels of ascorbic acid which are significantly lower (p < 0.01), and platelet levels which are significantly higher (p < 0.05). There are no differences with respect to the levels in erythrocytes or neutrophils. The frequency of consumption of vegetables, which is higher in the controls (p < 0.001), is significantly related to higher levels of ascorbic acid in plasma (r = 0.458), and erythrocytes (r = 0.444) in this group, but we did not find any correlation in the group of the patients. The frequency of fruit or potatoes consumption, which is very similar in both groups, does not appear to lead to significant differences in the ascorbic acid contents.