Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1990 Feb;45(2):95–99. doi: 10.1136/thx.45.2.95

Reduced selenium in asthmatic subjects in New Zealand.

A Flatt 1, N Pearce 1, C D Thomson 1, M R Sears 1, M F Robinson 1, R Beasley 1
PMCID: PMC462313  PMID: 2315881

Abstract

Selenium is an essential component of glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme that helps protect cells against oxidation damage and modulates the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism. Low selenium concentrations might therefore influence the inflammatory process in asthma by reducing the activity of glutathione peroxidase. Whole blood and plasma selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activity have been measured in 56 asthmatic patients and 59 non-asthmatic control subjects in New Zealand, a country with a low dietary selenium intake and a high prevalence of asthma. When compared with control subjects the asthmatic patients had lower values for whole blood selenium concentrations (-4.9, 95% confidence interval -10.2 to 0.4 ng/ml) and glutathione peroxidase activity (-3.3, 95% CI -5.8 to -0.8 units/g Hb). There was a 1.9 and 5.8 fold increased risk of asthma in subjects with the lowest range of whole blood selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity respectively (95% CI 0.6 to 5.6 and 1.6 to 21.2). Levels were lower in patients and control subjects without an atopic predisposition, but were not affected by prednisone use. Similar differences between the asthmatic and control subjects were not observed for selenium concentration or glutathione peroxidase activity measured in plasma, which reflects short term rather than long term selenium content. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that low selenium concentrations may have a role in the pathogenesis of asthma in New Zealand.

Full text

PDF
97

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beasley R., Roche W. R., Roberts J. A., Holgate S. T. Cellular events in the bronchi in mild asthma and after bronchial provocation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1989 Mar;139(3):806–817. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/139.3.806. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bracci R., Calabri G., Bettini F., Princi P. Glutathione peroxidase in human leukocytes. Clin Chim Acta. 1970 Aug;29(2):345–348. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(70)90060-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bryant R. W., Bailey J. M. Altered lipoxygenase metabolism and decreased glutathione peroxidase activity in platelets from selenium-deficient rats. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1980 Jan 15;92(1):268–276. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(80)91548-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burk R. F. Biological activity of selenium. Annu Rev Nutr. 1983;3:53–70. doi: 10.1146/annurev.nu.03.070183.000413. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DUNNILL M. S. The pathology of asthma, with special reference to changes in the bronchial mucosa. J Clin Pathol. 1960 Jan;13:27–33. doi: 10.1136/jcp.13.1.27. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ge K., Xue A., Bai J., Wang S. Keshan disease-an endemic cardiomyopathy in China. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol. 1983;401(1):1–15. doi: 10.1007/BF00644785. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Griffiths N. M., Thomson C. D. Selenium in whole blood of New Zealand residents. N Z Med J. 1974 Sep 11;80(523):199–202. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hafeman D. G., Sunde R. A., Hoekstra W. G. Effect of dietary selenium on erythrocyte and liver glutathione peroxidase in the rat. J Nutr. 1974 May;104(5):580–587. doi: 10.1093/jn/104.5.580. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Halliwell B., Gutteridge J. M. The importance of free radicals and catalytic metal ions in human diseases. Mol Aspects Med. 1985;8(2):89–193. doi: 10.1016/0098-2997(85)90001-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hinks L. J., Young S., Clayton B. Trace element status in eczema and psoriasis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1987 Mar;12(2):93–97. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2230.1987.tb01872.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jones D. T., Sears M. R., Holdaway M. D., Hewitt C. J., Flannery E. M., Herbison G. P., Silva P. A. Childhood asthma in New Zealand. Br J Dis Chest. 1987 Oct;81(4):332–340. doi: 10.1016/0007-0971(87)90181-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Karpatkin S., Weiss H. J. Deficiency of glutathione peroxidase associated with high levels of reduced glutathione in glanzmann's thrombasthenia. N Engl J Med. 1972 Nov 23;287(21):1062–1066. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197211232872103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kay R. G., Knight G. S. Blood selenium values in an adult Auckland population group. N Z Med J. 1979 Jul 11;90(639):11–13. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lloyd B., Lloyd R. S., Clayton B. E. Effect of smoking, alcohol, and other factors on the selenium status of a healthy population. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1983 Sep;37(3):213–217. doi: 10.1136/jech.37.3.213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Maclouf J., de Laclos B. F., Borgeat P. Stimulation of leukotriene biosynthesis in human blood leukocytes by platelet-derived 12-hydroperoxy-icosatetraenoic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Oct;79(19):6042–6046. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.19.6042. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Malmgren R., Unge G., Zetterström O., Theorell H., de Wahl K. Lowered glutathione-peroxidase activity in asthmatic patients with food and aspirin intolerance. Allergy. 1986 Jan;41(1):43–45. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1986.tb00273.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nockels C. F. Protective effects of supplemental vitamin E against infection. Fed Proc. 1979 Jun;38(7):2134–2138. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Paglia D. E., Valentine W. N. Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. J Lab Clin Med. 1967 Jul;70(1):158–169. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rea H. M., Thomson C. D., Campbell D. R., Robinson M. F. Relation between erythrocyte selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) activities of New Zealand residents and visitors to New Zealand. Br J Nutr. 1979 Sep;42(2):201–208. doi: 10.1079/bjn19790107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Robinson M. F. Selenium and man. N Z Med J. 1985 Apr 24;98(777):278–280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rotruck J. T., Pope A. L., Ganther H. E., Swanson A. B., Hafeman D. G., Hoekstra W. G. Selenium: biochemical role as a component of glutathione peroxidase. Science. 1973 Feb 9;179(4073):588–590. doi: 10.1126/science.179.4073.588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Salonen J. T., Alfthan G., Huttunen J. K., Pikkarainen J., Puska P. Association between cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction and serum selenium in a matched-pair longitudinal study. Lancet. 1982 Jul 24;2(8291):175–179. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)91028-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sears M. R., Jones D. T., Holdaway M. D., Hewitt C. J., Flannery E. M., Herbison G. P., Silva P. A. Prevalence of bronchial reactivity to inhaled methacholine in New Zealand children. Thorax. 1986 Apr;41(4):283–289. doi: 10.1136/thx.41.4.283. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Shamberger R. J., Frost D. V. Possible protective effect of selenium against human cancer. Can Med Assoc J. 1969 Apr 12;100(14):682–682. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Smith S. R., Kendall M. J. Metabolic responses to beta 2 stimulants. J R Coll Physicians Lond. 1984 Jul;18(3):190–194. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Stone J., Hinks L. J., Beasley R., Holgate S. T., Clayton B. A. Reduced selenium status of patients with asthma. Clin Sci (Lond) 1989 Nov;77(5):495–500. doi: 10.1042/cs0770495. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Thomson C. D., Robinson M. F., Campbell D. R., Rea H. M. Effect of prolonged supplementation with daily supplements of selenomethionine and sodium selenite on glutathione peroxidase activity in blood of New Zealand residents. Am J Clin Nutr. 1982 Jul;36(1):24–31. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/36.1.24. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Thomson C. D., Robinson M. F. Selenium in human health and disease with emphasis on those aspects peculiar to New Zealand. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Feb;33(2):303–323. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.2.303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. van Rij A. M., Thomson C. D., McKenzie J. M., Robinson M. F. Selenium deficiency in total parenteral nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Oct;32(10):2076–2085. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/32.10.2076. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. van Rij A. M., Wade C., Kirk I., Thomson C., Robinson M. F. Altered platelet lipoxygenase activity in patients with low selenium. Clin Sci (Lond) 1987 Nov;73(5):525–529. doi: 10.1042/cs0730525. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES