Effect of high dose vitamin C on Epstein-Barr viral infection

Abstract

Background Many natural compounds were tested for the ability to suppress viral replication. The present manuscript details an analysis of high dose vitamin C therapy on patients with EBV infection. Material and Methods The data were obtained from the patient history database at the Riordan Clinic. Among people in our database who were treated with intravenous vitamin C (7.5 g to 50 g infusions) between 1997 and 2006, 178 patients showed elevated levels of EBV EA IgG (range 25 to 211 AU) and 40 showed elevated levels of EBV VCA IgM (range 25 to 140 AU). Most of these patients had a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, with the rest being diagnosed as having mononucleosis, fatigue, or EBV infection. Results Our data provide evidence that high dose intravenous vitamin C therapy has a positive effect on disease duration and reduction of viral antibody levels. Plasma levels of ascorbic acid and vitamin D were correlated with levels of antibodies to EBV. We found an inverse correlation between EBV VCA IgM and vitamin C in plasma in patients with mononucleosis and CFS meaning that patients with high levels of vitamin C tended to have lower levels of antigens in the acute state of disease. In addition, a relation was found between vitamin D levels and EBV EA IgG with lower levels of EBV early antigen IgG for higher levels of vitamin D. Conclusions The clinical study of ascorbic acid and EBV infection showed the reduction in EBV EA IgG and EBV VCA IgM antibody levels over time during IVC therapy that is consistent with observations from the literature that millimolar levels of ascorbate hinder viral infection and replication in vitro.

Figure 1

Changes in EBV EA antibodies over time in a patient. Boxes represent times of IVC administration.

Figure 2

Percent decrease in EBV EA IgG levels over time for patients receiving no IVC, or ≥5 IVC. Lines represent linear least squares fits to data.

Figure 3

Percentage of decrease in EBV EA IgG levels over time for patients receiving IVC as a function of number of IVC treatments.

Figure 4

Antibody levels are plotted against plasma ascorbate concentrations for EBV VCA IgM (A) and EBV Early Antigen IgG (B). Curve fits are exponential: y=42 exp (−1.18x) (r=0.62) for A and y=114 exp(−0.37x) (r=0.21) for B. Estimated p-values are p<0.001 for A and p=0.08 for B.

Figure 5

Lymphocyte percentages as functions of EBV VCA IgM levels. Line represents a linear regression (y=37–0.51x, r=0.34).

Figure 6

Effect of vitamin D levels on EBV EA IgG levels. Curve fit is exponential: y=79 exp(−0.041x) (r=0.44)