Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Human neutrophils produce bacterial oxidants that could have a damaging effect on the neutrophils themselves. For protection, neutrophils acquire a high (10-20 mmol/L) level of intracellular ascorbic acid by oxidizing extracellular ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid, rapidly taking up the dehydroascorbic acid and re-reducing it to ascorbic acid.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
George Wolf (2009) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: