antioxidants Review Influence of Vitamin C on Lymphocytes: An Overview Gwendolyn N. Y. van Gorkom 1,*, Roel G. J. Klein Wolterink 1, Catharina H. M. J. Van Elssen 1 ID , Lotte Wieten 2, Wilfred T. V. Germeraad 1 and Gerard M. J. Bos 1 1 Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6202AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands;
[email protected] (R.G.J.K.W.);
[email protected] (C.H.M.J.V.E.);
[email protected] (W.T.V.G.);
[email protected] (G.M.J.B.) 2 Department of Transplantation Immunology, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +31-043-387-6543 Received: 8 February 2018; Accepted: 8 March 2018; Published: 10 March 2018 Abstract: Vitamin C or ascorbic acid (AA) is implicated in many biological processes and has been proposed as a supplement for various conditions, including cancer. In this review, we discuss the effects of AA on the development and function of lymphocytes. This is important in the light of cancer treatment, as the immune system needs to regenerate following chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation, while cancer patients are often AA-deficient. We focus on lymphocytes, as these white blood cells are the slowest to restore, rendering patients susceptible to often lethal infections. T lymphocytes mediate cellular immunity and have been most extensively studied in the context of AA biology. In vitro studies demonstrate that T cell development requires AA, while AA also enhances T cell proliferation and may influence T cell function.