Selenium Levels in Patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Controls in Lower Austria

Abstract

Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases; genetic as well as environmental factors contribute to its pathogenesis. The thyroid is the organ with the highest selenium content per unit weight. Selenium status appears to have an impact on the development of thyroid pathologies. We investigated a possible difference of selenium serum levels as a marker of nutritional selenium supply between patients with AIT in central Lower Austria and a matched group of healthy persons living in the same region. Selenium serum levels in the patients with AIT were 98.0 ± 15.6 μg/l. A significant difference to the matched group of normal persons, whose selenium serum levels were 103.2 ± 12.4 μg/l, could not be detected by the t-test (p>0.05). We considered the serum selenium levels to be indicators of selenium supply (by alimentation). A serum level of 120-160 μg/l of selenium represents the normal range. According to this, most patients and control persons showed mild to moderate selenium deficiency (80-120 μg/l selenium). Although our data present slightly higher selenium levels in normal persons than in patients with AIT, this weak and statistically insignificant trend is not sufficient to support the conclusion of a link between inadequate selenium supply and autoimmune thyroid disease.

Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Recurrent Hyperthyroidism Caused by Graves’ Disease: A Prospective Pilot Study

“…Third, the effect of selenium supplementation may be more profound in patients with selenium deficiency, which has not been analyzed in the present study [11,13]. Fourth, there is conflicting data on the dose and form of selenium used for supplementation [12,37,38]. More clinical trials are still needed to find the best dose or form of selenium used for treatment in recurrent Graves' disease.…”

The Response of Macro- and Micronutrient Nutrient Status and Biochemical Processes in Rats Fed on a Diet with Selenium-Enriched Defatted Rapeseed and/or Vitamin E Supplementation

“…Wu et al [4] confirmed that low selenium status is associated with an increased risk of thyroid disease, and, therefore, increased selenium intake may reduce the risk in areas where selenium uptake is low. In Europe, Wimmer et al [5] reported slightly higher (but not significant) serum selenium levels in normal people than in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis in Lower Austria. A negative correlation between the thyroid volume and Se and I content of hair of goitrous children in Morocco was observed by El-Fadeli et al [6].…”

Justification of the need for correction selenium status in the treatment of thyrotopathy among Ukrainians (review of literature and their own observations)

“…Систематический поиск и анализ результатов исследований был выполнен PUBMED для статей на английском языке, опубликованных с января 2002 г. по ноябрь 2014 г. Данные результаты свидетельствуют, что в Европе имеет место субоптимальная концентрация Se в крови популяций большей части региона. Исключениями были Австрия [46], Венгрия [47], Дания [48,49]. Самый низкий уровень Se в сыворотке крови выявлен у албанцев, живущих в Греции [50], самая высокая обеспеченность Se оказалась в Польше [51].…”