title: Increased erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity in psoriatics consuming high-selenium drinking water at the Dead-Sea Psoriasis Treatment Center.
abstract: Erythrocyte selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity was measured in psoriatic Danes, before and after their four-week balneological therapy at the Ein-Bokek International Psoriasis Treatment Center, on the Dead-Sea shore in Israel. The drinking water in Ein-Bokek was found to be rich in selenium, a trace element with anticarcinogenic properties and of great importance in human nutrition and health. The most reliable biological parameter for increase in selenium bioavailability is the erythrocytes' glutathione-peroxidase activity. As psoriasis is a proliferative skin disease, the activity of this enzyme was assayed in 35 psoriatic Danes and in 25 long-term local hotel workers, as well as in 34 volunteers drinking low-selenium water. The glutathione peroxidase activity in the psoriatic patients increased significantly during their four-week stay in Ein-Bokek. Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity in the hotel workers was 50% higher than that in the healthy volunteers consuming low-selenium water. A possible role of selenium in psoriasis is suggested.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001452:Balneology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000628:therapy; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium