Indicators of selenium status in Australian infants

Objective: To provide the first Australian data for the commonly used indicators of selenium (Se) status including plasma and erythrocyte Se and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity in newborn term and preterm infants from Adelaide, South Australia. Plasma Se levels from adults from Adelaide and Tasmania are also reported. Methodology: Descriptive, cross-sectional study of the indicators of Se status of newborn Australian preterm and term infants. Results: Mean (± SD) plasma Se concentrations in the first 5 days of life for term (n = 48) and preterm (n = 90) infants were similar at 33 ± 11 and 29 ± 14 μg/L, respectively. Glutathione peroxidase activity was lower in preterm than term infants (P< 0.001). Erythrocyte Se was lower in male (n=74) compared with female (n =57) infants (491 ± 98 vs 561 ± 134 ng/g Hb; P < 0.001). Adelaide adult plasma Se levels were 88 ± 20 μg/L and higher than those of adult Tasmanian blood donors (77 ± 13 μg/l, P < 0.05). Conclusions: These data indicate that values for indicators of Se status of Australian infants and adults are at the lower end of the international range. This article highlights the paucity of Australian data on the Se content in the food supply and the Se status of the Australian population. Given the increasing range and complexity of the biological roles of Se and the emerging evidence that Se may have important roles in prevention of cancer and other disorders, further data are required to clarify the Se status of Australians.