The correlation between serum selenium and blood selenium in cattle

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Analytical Chemistry
• Animal Nutrition

Background:

• Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for cattle health.
• Accurate assessment of selenium status is crucial for preventing deficiency-related diseases.
• Blood and serum selenium concentrations are commonly measured, but their relationship needs clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare two analytical methods for determining selenium concentration in cattle blood and serum.
• To establish a predictive relationship between blood and serum selenium concentrations.
• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of serum selenium for assessing overall selenium status in cattle.

Main Methods:

• Paired blood and serum samples from 327 cattle (HG-AAS) and 344 cattle (ICP) were analyzed.
• Selenium concentrations were determined using hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HG-AAS) and inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP).
• Linear regression and inverse prediction were used to analyze the data and determine prediction intervals.

Main Results:

• Correlation coefficients between serum and blood selenium were 0.79 (HG-AAS) and 0.88 (ICP).
• Inverse prediction formulas were derived to estimate blood Se from serum Se, but resulted in wide 95% prediction intervals.
• The accuracy of estimating blood selenium from serum selenium was insufficient for diagnostic purposes.

Conclusions:

• Serum selenium concentration is not a suitable biomarker for assessing the nutritional status of cattle regarding selenium.
• The wide prediction intervals indicate significant variability, making serum selenium unreliable for diagnostic decisions.
• Further research may be needed to identify more accurate biomarkers for selenium status in cattle.