Age dependency of selenium and cadmium content in human liver, kidney, and thyroid

Selenium and cadmium concentrations were investigated in 60 autopsy tissue samples obtained from fetal life up to adulthood (defined in this study as 25-87 y of age) in Styria, a moderately industrialized region in Austria that has a low selenium supply. During the first 2 y after birth, median liver selenium concentrations were slightly lower (i.e., 1.5 nmol/g wet weight) than concentrations found in fetal life (i.e., 2.9 nmol/g) and adulthood (2.1 nmol/g). Whereas in the fetal period median selenium content in the kidney cortex (2.1 nmol/g) and the thyroid gland (1.6 nmol/g) was lower than that found in the liver, the reverse was true for adults (i.e., kidney, 5.5 nmol/g; thyroid, 4.3 nmol/g). Tissue cadmium concentrations approached 0 during gestation. Accumulation in the kidney and liver commenced immediately after birth. In the thyroid gland of adults, significantly higher concentrations of cadmium were found. Median concentrations in adults showed no statistical significant age dependency (i.e., liver, 7.6 nmol/g; kidney, 59.8 nmol/g; thyroid, 11.2 nmol/g). In summary, the data revealed very low tissue selenium concentrations and low cadmium burdens for the Styrian population that was not exposed occupationally.