[Concentration of selenium in serum of patients with ulcerative colitis]

Selenium deficiency may be implicated in the pathogenesis of some human diseases, including colon cancer. The incidence of carcinoma of the colon is increased in patients with ulcerative colitis. We measured the serum concentration of selenium in 22 patients with ulcerative colitis and 22 sex-, age-, height and weight-matched controls. Although no significant difference was found in mean serum selenium between patients and controls (patients: 0.92 mumol/l, controls: 0.79 mumol/l), the serum selenium level decreased with increasing extension of the disease. The differences between serum selenium concentrations in patients with proctitis-sigmoiditis, left-sided colitis and pan-colitis were statistically significant. No correlation was found between serum selenium concentrations and the sex, age, height, or weight of the patients. The inverse correlation between serum selenium concentration and the extension of the disease may be caused by a decreased absorption of selenium from the diseased colon in ulcerative colitis.