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Selenium level correlates negatively with antibodies but positively with thyroid function in children with down
Yuni Hisbiyah1,2, Anang Endaryanto1,2, Bagus Setyoboedi1,2
1Doctoral Program of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.
Insights
Children with Down syndrome (DS) and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) have lower selenium (Se) levels. Increasing Se intake may reduce the risk of AITD and thyroid dysfunction in these children.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Children with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit a higher predisposition to autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD).
- Previous research indicates lower selenium (Se) levels in children diagnosed with AITD.
- Selenium is crucial for thyroid function, and its deficiency is linked to hypothyroidism in DS populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of selenium (Se) in the development of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) among Indonesian children with Down syndrome (DS).
- To analyze the correlation between Se levels and thyroid autoantibodies and dysfunction in DS children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 62 children with DS aged 1 month to 18 years.
- Measurement of plasma levels of glutathione peroxidase-3 (GPx3), selenoprotein-P (SePP), thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, and autoantibodies (TPO-Ab, Tg-Ab) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
- Statistical analysis included Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman's rank correlation tests.
Main Results:
- Children with DS and AITD showed significantly lower plasma SePP and GPx3 levels compared to those without AITD.
- SePP and GPx3 levels demonstrated a significant negative correlation with TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab levels.
- Lower SePP levels were significantly associated with a higher incidence of thyroid dysfunction within the AITD group.
Conclusions:
- Selenium deficiency plays a role in the autoimmune processes of the thyroid and contributes to thyroid dysfunction in children with Down syndrome.
- Recommendations include increasing Se levels through dietary intake to mitigate the risks of AITD and thyroid dysfunction in DS children.
Background:
Children with Down syndrome (DS) are prone to developing autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Previous studies found lower selenium (Se) levels in children with AITD. Glutathione peroxidase-3 (GPx3) and selenoprotein-P (SePP) are widely used to measure Se levels. DS children tend to have lower Se levels, the main contributor to hypothyroidism in this population. This study aimed to analyze the Se's role in AITD in Indonesian children with DS.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2021-June 2022 at the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Dr Soetomo Hospital. DS children aged 1 month to 18 years were enrolled using consecutive sampling. Thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, thyroid peroxidase (TPO-Ab) and thyroglobulin (Tg-Ab) autoantibody, GPx3, and SePP levels were measured in plasma samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Statistical analyses used Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman's rank correlation (r s). All results with p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results:
Among 62 children with DS, SePP and GPx3 levels were significantly lower in those with AITD than those without AITD (p=0.013 and p=0.018, respectively). SePP and GPx3 levels correlated significantly with lower TPO-Ab (r s=-0.439 with p=1×10-5 and r s=-0.396 with p=0.001, respectively) and Tg-Ab (r s=-0.474 with p=1×10-5 and r s=-0.410 with p=0.001, respectively) levels. SePP levels correlated significantly with lower thyroid dysfunction incidence (r s=-0.252, p=0.048) in the AITD group.
Conclusion:
Selenium deficiency contributes to autoimmune process in the thyroid and to thyroid dysfunction in children with Down syndrome. Our findings recommend increasing Se levels through Se-containing foods to reduce the risks of AITD and thyroid dysfunction in DS children with AITD.
