Effect of Vitamin C on Platelet Indices (CBC) in Platelet Donors: A Comparative Study Between Intervention and Control Groups

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 MSc in Biochemistry, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

4 Student of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Kurdistan, Iran

10.22038/mjms.2026.94891.5242

Abstract

Introduction:VitaminC, as an antioxidant may influence the quantity and quality of platelets in repeated platelet donors through oxidative stress and platelet activation, thereby exerting a supportive role in improving platelet indices. This study was designed to investigate the effect of daily vitamin C supplementation on platelet indices in platelet donors.
Methods:This quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest design and a control group was conducted on 60 healthy volunteers. The intervention group received 1000 mg of vitamin C daily for 30 days, while the control group received no intervention. Platelet indices, including platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and plateletcrit were measured before the intervention and at the end of the study period. Data analysis was performed using paired t-test for within-group comparisons and independent t-test for between-group comparisons. A significance level of 0.05 was considered.
Results:Following vitamin C supplementation, the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in PLT (ΔPLT = 12.4 ± 3.21 ×10³/µL; p = 0.021; effect size d = 0.84) and a significant decrease in MPV (ΔMPV = 0.32 ± 0.58 fL; p = 0.045; d = 0.63) compared with baseline values. The observed pattern was consistent with improved platelet quality and maturation, as well as enhanced thrombopoiesis.
Conclusion:VitaminC supplementation in repeated platelet donors resulted in a significant increase in platelet count, a reduction in mean platelet volume, and an increase in plateletcrit. These findings suggest that vitamin C may exert a protective and enhancing effect on platelet indices by reducing oxidative stress and supporting thrombopoiesis.

Keywords

References

  1. Šromová V, Sobola D, Kaspar P. A brief review of bone cell function and importance. Cells. 2023;12(21):2576.
  2. Ghoshal K, Bhattacharyya M. Overview of platelet physiology: its hemostatic and nonhemostatic role in disease pathogenesis. ScientificWorldJournal. 2014;2014:781857.
  3. Ashraf A, Hadjinicolaou AV, Doree C, Hopewell S, Trivella M, Estcourt LJ. Comparison of a therapeutic-only versus prophylactic platelet transfusion policy for people with congenital or acquired bone marrow failure disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(9):CD012342.
  4. Trochanowska-Pauk N, Walski T, Bohara R, Mikolas J, Kubica K. Platelet storage—problems, improvements, and new perspectives. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(14):7779.
  5. Seo IH, Lee YJ. Usefulness of complete blood count (CBC) to assess cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in clinical settings: a comprehensive literature review. Biomedicines. 2022;10(11):2697.
  6. Korniluk A, Koper-Lenkiewicz OM, Kamińska J, Kemona H, Dymicka-Piekarska V. Mean platelet volume (MPV): new perspectives for an old marker in the course and prognosis of inflammatory conditions. Mediators Inflamm. 2019;2019:9213074.
  7. Thokala RP, Radhakrishnan K, Anandan A, Panicker VK. Recovery of platelet count among apheresis platelet donors. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(12):EC01-EC04.
  8. Obeagu EI. The vitamin C paradigm: new frontiers in blood transfusion. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025;87(6):3310-3326.
  9. Aghajanian P, Hall S, Wongworawat MD, Mohan S. The roles and mechanisms of actions of vitamin C in bone: new developments. J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(11):1945-1955.
  10. Pavlovic V, Ciric M, Petkovic M, Golubovic M. Vitamin C and epigenetics: a short physiological overview. Open Med (Wars). 2023;18(1):20230688.
  11. Cheah LT, Hindle MS, Khalil JS, Duval C, Unsworth AJ, Naseem KM. Platelet reactive oxygen species, oxidised lipid stress, current perspectives, and an update on future directions. Cells. 2025;14(7):500.
  12. Das SS, Sen S, Zaman RU, Biswas RN. Plateletpheresis in the era of automation: optimizing donor safety and product quality using modern apheresis instruments. Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus. 2021;37(1):134-139.
  13. Morel O, Jesel L, Hugel B, Douchet MP, Zupan M, Chauvin M, et al. Protective effects of vitamin C on endothelium damage and platelet activation during myocardial infarction. J Thromb Haemost. 2003;1(1):171-177.
  14. Mohammed BM, Sanford KW, Fisher BJ, Martin EJ, Contaifer D Jr, Warncke UO, et al. Impact of high dose vitamin C on platelet function. World J Crit Care Med. 2017;6(1):37-47.
  15. Gautam D, Goggi G, Battinelli EM. Platelet subpopulations in health and disease: heterogeneity, clinical associations, and therapeutic targeting. Cells. 2025;15(1):11.
  16. Xie Y, Lei X, Deng H, Zhang J, Qiu S, Zhuang D, et al. Association between platelet distribution width trends and in-hospital mortality in sepsis. BMC Infect Dis. 2025;25(1):1132.
  17. Huang L, Xu J, Zhang H, Wang M, Zhang Y, Lin Q. Application of thrombopoiesis-stimulating agents in thrombocytopenia. Ther Adv Hematol. 2023;14:20406207231152746.
  18. Sangani R, Periyasamy-Thandavan S, Pathania R, Ahmad S, Kutiyanawalla A, Kolhe R, et al. The crucial role of vitamin C and SVCT2 in bone marrow stromal cell autophagy and apoptosis. Stem Cell Res. 2015;15(2):312-321.
  19. Liu D, Pei D, Hu H, Gu G, Cui W. Effects and mechanisms of vitamin C post-conditioning on platelet activation after hypoxia/reoxygenation. Transfus Med Hemother. 2020;47(2):110-118.
  20. Yang M, Collis C, Kelly M, Diplock AT, Rice-Evans C. Do iron and vitamin C co-supplementation influence platelet function or LDL oxidizability in healthy volunteers? Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999;53(5):367-374.
  21. Müller MM, Pinto R, Lamontagne F, Adhikari NKJ, Del Sorbo L, et al. Vitamin C does not affect platelet counts in patients with sepsis: a post hoc analysis of the LOVIT randomized trial. Crit Care Explor. 2025;7(9):e1310.
  22. Pinnell SR. Regulation of collagen biosynthesis by ascorbic acid: a review. Yale J Biol Med. 1985;58(6):553-559.
  23. Lee-Thedieck C, Schertl P, Klein G. The extracellular matrix of hematopoietic stem cell niches. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2022;181:114069. doi:10.1016/j.addr.2021.114069.
  24. Zareifar S, Farahmand MR, Golfeshan F, Cohan N. Changes in platelet count and mean platelet volume during infectious and inflammatory disease. J Clin Lab Anal. 2014;28(3):245-248.
  25. Wazir K, Abubakar M, Anwar A, Rashid FR, Adil A, Sajjad M. Vitamin C in sepsis: exploring its role in modulating inflammation and oxidative stress. Cureus. 2025;17(3):e81386.
  26. Senthil Nathan S, Varadaraj P, Nallusamy G, Reddy KSS. The significance of platelet indices in thrombocytopenia. Cureus. 2024;16(7):e65756.
  27. Palma-Barqueros V, Revilla N, Sánchez A, Zamora Cánovas A, Rodriguez-Alén A, Marín-Quílez A, et al. Inherited platelet disorders: an updated overview. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(9):4521.
  28. Traber MG, Stevens JF. Vitamins C and E: beneficial effects from a mechanistic perspective. Free Radic Biol Med. 2011;51(5):1000-1013.
Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences
Volume 69, Issue 5
June 2026
Pages 495-513

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics