Selenium status in patients with Crohn's disease

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Nutrition
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract.
• Nutrient deficiencies, including selenium, are common in CD patients due to malabsorption and inflammation.
• Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is a key antioxidant enzyme that relies on selenium as a cofactor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate selenium and GPx concentrations in patients with Crohn's disease.
• To determine the relationship between selenium status, disease severity, and extent of small bowel resection in CD.
• To assess the correlation between selenium and GPx levels in CD patients.

Main Methods:

• Measured plasma and erythrocyte concentrations of selenium and GPx in 66 CD patients and a control group.
• Subgrouped CD patients based on the length of resected small bowel (>200 cm vs. <=200 cm).
• Correlated selenium and GPx levels with clinical parameters like Harvey-Bradshaw score, BMI, and plasma albumin.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven out of 66 CD patients exhibited reduced selenium and GPx levels.
• Significant reductions in selenium and GPx were observed in plasma and erythrocytes of patients with small bowel resection > 200 cm.
• Strong positive correlations were found between selenium and GPx in both plasma (r=0.81) and erythrocytes (r=0.62) in CD patients.
• Plasma selenium correlated negatively with disease activity (Harvey-Bradshaw score) and positively with BMI and albumin levels.

Conclusions:

• Patients with Crohn's disease and extensive small bowel resection (>200 cm) are at risk of severe selenium deficiency.
• Selenium and GPx levels are significantly reduced in these patients, suggesting impaired antioxidant capacity.
• Regular monitoring of selenium status and potential supplementation are recommended for CD patients with significant intestinal resection.