Evaluation of the potential role of serum selenium in diabetic patients

Abstract EN

Background : the altered status of some essential trace elements observed in diabetes could have deleterious influences on the health of the diabetics.

Objectives : to estimate and study the potential role of serum Selenium in type 1, type 2 diabetics and healthy subjects ; and its relation with lipid profile and glycemic index.

Methods : A case control designed study was carried out at the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiria University ; on a total of 94 participants formed of 32 type 1 diabetics, 32 type 2 diabetics and 30 healthy control participants.

Data collected about age, sex and BMI ; also, blood samples examined for FPG, HbA1C, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride and sera were examined for Selenium by using atomic absorption technique.

Results : type 1 and type 2 diabetic groups show respectively 75 % and 65 % decrement in S.

Selenium, > 70 μg / L.

The mean of S.

Selenium, age, BMI, waist / hip ratio, FPG, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, Non-HDL and atherogenic index (total cholesterol / HDL cholesterol) for the type 1 and type 2 diabetics shows statistically significant differences from control group.

Type 1 diabetics versus type 2 diabetics shows statistically insignificant differences between mean of the S.Selenium, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and atherogenic index (t-test, P > 0.05) while the mean of FPG, HbA1c and triglyceride show highly statistical significant differences (t-test, < 0.001).Simple linear correlation and regression analysis of FPG, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, Non-HDL and atherogenic index of the studied groups shows weak to moderate correlation with their serum Selenium levels.

Conclusions : the inverse relationship between Selenium status and glucose tolerance suggest the potential role of Selenium in diabetics.

Serum Selenium levels show high statistically significant differences from healthy subjects ; while the differences between type1 and type 2 diabetic groups’ shows no statistically significant differences.

Inverse correlations and regression were noticed between S.

Selenium levels of all studied groups with their FPG, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, Non-HDL and atherogenic index.

Low S.

Selenium and HDL-cholesterol plus an increase in total cholesterol, non-HDL and atherogenic index enhance risk of cardiovascular diseases progression among the diabetics.