Vitamin C

Vitamin C acts as a cofactor for various hydroxylase enzymes. The proline and lysine hydroxylase enzymes involved in collagen synthesis are essential for forming the alpha-helix cross links that confer structural integrity to this protein. Because collagen is the most abundant protein and responsible for the structural integrity of tissues throughout the body the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency are far-reaching and varied. Vitamin C deficiency classically manifests as scurvy. The symptoms of which in adults are; weakness, fatigue, bone and joint pain, skin rash, bruising, impaired wound healing, anaemia, and osteoporosis. The equivalent symptoms of scurvy in infants (Barlow's disease) are the failure of soft tissue to calcify effectively (ossification) and impaired bone growth. Scurvy has been successfully identified in part through tests available at Synnovis in cases at St. Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College Hospital London. Due to the poor stability of vitamin C, appropriate samples handling and rapid delivery of the sample are essential.

Due to the relocation of the Nutristasis service to the Blackfriars Hub site, this test is not currently accredited by UKAS to ISO15189