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Research: CHEN and others,
Listed in Issue 148
Abstract
CHEN and others, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, have studied the connection between selenium and the risk of arsenic-related pre-malignant skin lesions.
Background
Arsenic exposure from drinking water is considered to be a risk factor for skin and internal cancers. Animal studies suggest a potential antagonism between arsenic and selenium in the body. The aim of this study was to elucidate the influence of selenium on arsenic-related skin lesion.
Methodology
In this case-cohort analysis, 303 cases of skin lesions newly diagnosed from November 2002 to April 2004 were compared to 849 subjects randomly selected from the 8,092 participants in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study with available baseline blood and urine samples collected in 2000.
Results
Incidence rate ratios for skin lesions in increasing blood selenium quintiles were 1.00 (reference), 0.68, 0.51, 0.52, and 0.53. Effect estimates remained similar with adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, excessive sunlight exposure (in men), well water arsenic concentration at baseline, and nutritional intakes of folate, iron, protein, vitamin E, and B vitamins. At any given arsenic exposure level, the risk of premalignant skin lesions was consistently greater among participants with blood selenium lower than the average level.
Conclusion
The findings support the hypothesis that dietary selenium intake may reduce the incidence of arsenic-related premalignant skin lesions among populations exposed to arsenic from drinking water.
References
Chen Y, Hall M, Graziano JH, Slavkovich V, van Geen A, Parvez F, Ahsan H. A prospective study of blood selenium levels and the risk of arsenic-related premalignant skin lesions. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 16 (2): 207-213, Feb 2007.
