Selenium status of healthy immigrant Parisian preschool children

Plasma selenium (Se) concentration and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx) were assessed in a population of healthy preschool children two to five years old, residing in the city of Paris. In the 118 subjects, mean (+/- SD) plasma Se concentration was 62.10 +/- 13.96 micrograms/L, and mean GPx activity was 23.58 +/- 8.52 U/g Hb. Mean plasma Se of male children was significantly (p = 0.001) higher (12%) than levels of girls. Plasma selenium levels were not correlated with erythrocyte GPx activity. Children from Mediterranean origin had a slightly lower erythrocyte GPx activity (p < 0.05) than children from other regions. Mean plasma Se concentration of this group corresponded to the lower limit of intervals, which characterizes geographical regions of intermediate selenium concentrations.