Positive Health Online

Abstract

FERNANDES-BANARES et al., Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias I Pujol, Badalona, Spain, assessed serum selenium levels and the risk of colorectal adenomas in a geographical region with low selenium status.

Background

Selenium is an essential nutrient that may have anticarcinogenic effects. Previous studies on possible relationships between serum selenium concentrations and colorectal adenomas have yielded controversial results . Here, the association of serum selenium status and large colorectal adenomas in subjects living in a poor selenium region was investigated.

Methodology

Serum selenium levels were measured in 28 patients with large adenomatous polyps, 24 patients with colorectal adenocarcinomas, and 35 age-matched healthy individuals . Logistic regression analysis was performed after correcting for confounding variables.

Results

Among subjects under 60 years of age, significantly lower selenium levels were found in both patient groups (p = 0.0001). There were no differences in over-60s . Subjects with higher selenium status had a lower probabilit y to be in the adenoma group than subjects with lower selenium status. This probability was more pronounced in subjects under 60 and not significant in older subjects.

Conclusion

The results suggest that high selenium status may decrease the risk of large adenomas in regions of low selenium in persons under 60 . However the results will need to be confirmed in additional epidemiological studies before recommendations about selenium supplementation in patients with colon adenomas can be made.

References

Fernandez-Banares F, Cabre E, Esteve M, Mingorance MD, Abad-LacruzA, Lachica M, Gil A, Gassull MA. Serum Selenium and risk of large size colorectal adenomas in a geographical region with a low selenium status. The American Journal of Gastroenterology 97 (8): 2103-2108, Aug 2002.