Fluorometry of selenium in serum or urine

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Trace Element Analysis
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Accurate measurement of selenium is crucial for assessing human health and nutritional status.
• Existing methods for selenium determination may lack sensitivity or require larger sample volumes.
• Understanding selenium levels in healthy populations provides essential baseline data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive, accurate, and simple fluorometric assay for human serum and urine selenium.
• To establish reference ranges for serum selenium concentrations in a healthy Canadian male population.
• To quantify the daily urinary excretion rate of selenium in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• A novel fluorometric procedure was employed for selenium quantification.
• The method requires a minimal sample volume (0.4 mL) of human serum or urine.
• The assay is amenable to concurrent analysis of multiple samples, enhancing throughput.

Main Results:

• The fluorometric method demonstrated high sensitivity and accuracy.
• The mean serum selenium concentration in normal Canadian men was determined to be 142.9 (SD 16.1) µg/L.
• The average daily urinary selenium excretion rate was measured at 124.5 (SD 76.0) µg/day.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorometric technique offers a reliable and efficient means for determining selenium in biological samples.
• This study provides valuable data on normal selenium levels in Canadian men, contributing to nutritional and clinical reference standards.
• The method's simplicity and sensitivity make it suitable for routine clinical and research applications.