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Functional indicators of iodine and selenium status.
1Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK. jra@rri.sari.ac.uk
The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
|August 31, 1999
Summary
Iodine (I) status is easily monitored via thyroid-stimulating hormone. Selenium (Se) status is more complex, but measuring glutathione peroxidase activity in blood or tissues can indicate functional Se adequacy.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Biomarker Development
- Trace Element Metabolism
Background:
- Iodine (I) has a singular biological role in thyroid hormones, simplifying status assessment.
- Selenium (Se) is vital for numerous biochemical pathways via selenoproteins, complicating status evaluation.
- Dietary intake adequacy for micronutrients requires reliable functional or biochemical markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the ease of assessing iodine (I) and selenium (Se) nutritional status.
- To identify reliable biomarkers for functional iodine (I) and selenium (Se) status.
- To discuss challenges and potential solutions for selenium (Se) status assessment in humans.
Main Methods:
- Assessed plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone as an indicator of iodine (I) status.
- Evaluated glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in blood/tissue as a marker for functional selenium (Se) status.
- Reviewed factors influencing selenium (Se) biomarker variability in human populations.
Main Results:
- Plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone effectively indicates iodine (I) adequacy, even with goitrogen interference.
- Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity serves as a sensitive indicator of dietary selenium (Se) intake in controlled animal studies.
- Human selenium (Se) status assessment is complicated by inter-individual variability and nutrient interactions (e.g., Vitamin E, I).
Conclusions:
- Iodine (I) status is readily determined using thyroid-stimulating hormone.
- Measuring selenoprotein activity, like GSH-Px, offers a viable approach for assessing functional selenium (Se) status, considering specific conditions.
- Accurate selenium (Se) status evaluation in humans requires accounting for genetic and dietary factors.
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