Serum selenium status in Graves' disease with and without orbitopathy: a case-control study

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Ophthalmology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Selenium is known to improve quality of life and slow the progression of active Graves' orbitopathy (GO).
• The impact of addressing relative selenium deficiency on GO improvement is unclear, as baseline selenium levels have not been previously documented.
• Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to GO, an inflammatory eye condition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if serum selenium levels are reduced in patients with Graves' disease with orbitopathy (GO) compared to those with Graves' disease without orbitopathy (GD).
• To investigate the relationship between serum selenium levels and the severity of Graves' orbitopathy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, case-control study was conducted between 2009 and 2012.
• 198 patients with Graves' disease were enrolled: 101 with GO and 97 with GD.
• Serum selenium levels were measured in both patient groups.

Main Results:

• Mean serum selenium levels were significantly lower in patients with GO (1.10 ± 0.18 μm) compared to GD (1.19 ± 0.20 μm) (P = 0.001).
• A trend of decreasing selenium levels was observed with increasing GO severity.
• Serum selenium levels remained significantly lower in GO patients after adjusting for potential confounding factors.

Conclusions:

• Patients with Graves' orbitopathy exhibit lower serum selenium levels compared to those with Graves' disease in an Australian population with marginal selenium status.
• Relative selenium deficiency may represent an independent risk factor for the development of orbitopathy in individuals with Graves' disease.