Effect of high dose vitamin C on Epstein-Barr viral infection.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Retrospective uncontrolled case series / database review
PubMed 24793092 · doi:10.12659/MSM.890423
What was done
A retrospective chart review was conducted using the patient history database at the Riordan Clinic from 1997 to 2006. The analysis included patients treated with intravenous vitamin C (7.5 g to 50 g infusions) who had elevated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody titers: 178 patients had elevated EBV EA IgG (range 25 to 211 AU) and 40 had elevated EBV VCA IgM (range 25 to 140 AU). Diagnoses were predominantly chronic fatigue syndrome, followed by mononucleosis, fatigue, or EBV infection. Relationships between plasma ascorbic acid, vitamin D, and EBV antibody titers were evaluated.
What was found
The authors reported that intravenous vitamin C therapy was associated with a reduction in EBV EA IgG and EBV VCA IgM antibody levels over time and a positive effect on disease duration, but no specific numerical changes, effect sizes, or p-values were provided in the abstract. Plasma ascorbic acid showed an inverse correlation with EBV VCA IgM in patients with mononucleosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Higher plasma vitamin D levels also correlated with lower EBV EA IgG levels.
Why it matters
This study documents observational clinic experience using high-dose intravenous ascorbate in patients with elevated EBV titers and fatigue syndromes. However, because EBV antibody levels fluctuate and infections resolve naturally, prospective controlled trials are required to determine if intravenous vitamin C provides any clinical benefit.
Limits
The study is an uncontrolled, retrospective review from a single specialized clinic, making it impossible to separate treatment effects from natural recovery or placebo response. No control group was included, and the abstract omits numerical effect sizes, p-values, follow-up durations, and clinical symptom outcome measures. Diagnostic categories were mixed across participants.
Cited by
- partial A retrospective study in patients with mononucleosis found that intravenous vitamin C reduced viral titers and replication, and decreased antibody levels by 42%.