Selenium status and associated factors in a British National Diet and Nutrition Survey: young people aged 4–18 y

Abstract

Objective: Assessment of selenium status to provide normative reference values, and investigation of associated sociodemographic factors, in a national sample of British young people aged 4 -18 y. Setting: National Diet and Nutrition Survey -a nationwide cross-sectional sample of young people aged 4 -18 y living in mainland Britain in 1997. Methods: Selenium status was measured, mainly in fasting blood samples, by plasma selenium concentration in 1127 participants, by red blood cell (RBC) selenium concentration in 1112, and by whole-blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in 658. Results: No evidence of severe selenium deficiency or toxicity was observed. Plasma selenium concentration was directly correlated with RBC selenium concentration, and both were associated directly, although less strongly, with GPx activity. Plasma and RBC selenium concentrations increased significantly with age, with RBC concentrations significantly higher in older girls than boys. Region of domicile exhibited a significant relationship. Associations also occurred with parental occupational social class, selenium concentrations being higher in more socially advantaged children. Black and Indian children had considerably higher concentrations than Caucasian children. Concentrations, especially of plasma selenium, were significantly lower in children either (or both) of whose parents were smokers, although, unexpectedly, there was no evidence that children who themselves smoked had lower levels. Conclusions: The observed associations between selenium status indices and age, gender, social class, parental smoking and ethnic group indicate a complex network of biological factors which determine selenium concentrations in blood components, and which thus need to be controlled for when using these indices to assess selenium status in young people.

Selenium deficiency in children and adolescents nourished by parenteral nutrition and/or selenium-deficient enteral formula

“…were analyzed. Based on previous reports, we determined 4.0 g/dL as the lower cut-off limit of serum selenium in this study [6][7][8].…”

Plasma selenium levels in healthy blood bank donors in the central-eastern part of Belgium

“…The interested reader, who would like to obtain more information about factors influencing blood Se concentrations, is referred to a literature review [3], or to the following more recent references for Se values in children [67][68][69][70][71][72], adolescents [68,73,74] or elderly people [75][76][77].…”

Antioxidants in cystic fibrosis☆Conclusions from the CF Antioxidant Workshop, Bethesda, Maryland, November 11-12, 2003

“…The average intake of Se from food in the United States is 108 μg/day, resulting in an average Se serum level of 1.57 nmol/L in adults and 1.52-1.54 nmol/L in children 9-18 years of age [169]. In the United Kingdom, the average plasma Se level is considerably lower (0.86-0.88 nmol/L in 4-18 year olds) [170]. Factors other than dietary intake may affect Se plasma levels; Se levels in the UK study increased with age and were lower in lower social classes and in children of parents who smoked.…”