title: Selenium in plasma and erythrocytes in patients with Down's syndrome and healthy controls. Variation in relation to age, sex and glutathione peroxidase activity in erythrocytes.
abstract: The mean plasma selenium concentration (P-Se) in 65 patients with Down's syndrome (DS) did not differ from that in 90 healthy controls. The concentration of selenium in the erythrocytes (E-Se) was higher in DS patients than in controls (p less than 0.001). P-Se and E-Se increased progressively with age through childhood in both DS children and controls. The former children, however, started out with higher levels of E-Se and reached adult concentrations earlier (at 7-17 years) than controls (greater than or equal to 18 years). Adult DS patients and controls did not differ in their mean P-Se or E-Se concentration. There was a significant correlation between P-Se and E-Se both in DS patients and in controls. In DS patients each of these two variables was significantly correlated to glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in erythrocytes. A sex difference in the DS children, but not in the controls, was observed with regard to P-Se and E-Se levels, these being higher in DS girls during childhood (0-17 years). This was in accordance with an earlier finding of higher GSH-Px activity in DS girls than in DS boys.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Annerén
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gebre-Medhin
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gustavson
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Plantin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium