title: Selenoprotein P concentration in plasma is an index of selenium status in selenium-deficient and selenium-supplemented Chinese subjects.
abstract: Selenoprotein P, a selenium-rich plasma protein, is an index of selenium status in rats. Antibodies against human selenoprotein P were raised to study the protein and to develop a radioimmunoassay for it. A single collection of plasma from a healthy person in the United States contained 1.84 mumol selenium/L and was defined as containing 1 Unit (U) selenoprotein P/L. Removal of selenoprotein P from the reference plasma by an antibody column indicated that 0.81 mumol selenium/L, or 44% of the plasma selenium, was present as selenoprotein P. Work by others had determined that glutathione peroxidase accounted for 12% of plasma selenium. Stored plasma samples from selenium-deficient (Dechang County) and selenium-supplemented (Mianning County) populations in China were assayed for selenoprotein P. Boys aged 8-12 y had selenoprotein P concentrations of 0.10 +/- 0.04 U/L (n = 22) in Dechang and 0.39 +/- 0.17 U/L (n = 17) in Mianning. Supplementation with 100 micrograms selenium as selenate per day for 14 d raised those levels to 0.51 +/- 0.13 U/L in Dechang and to 0.76 +/- 0.27 U/L in Mianning. Similar results were obtained in men, and plasma selenium concentrations correlated with selenoprotein P concentrations. A study comparing indices of selenium status was conducted in the two counties. Selenoprotein P concentration in Dechang subjects (n = 79) was 36% of that in Mianning subjects (n = 117). For plasma glutathione peroxidase activity the value was 54%; for plasma selenium, 47%; and for whole blood selenium, 64%. We conclude that selenoprotein P is the major selenoprotein in human plasma and that its concentration is an index of selenium nutritional status that appears to be as sensitive as other indices in common use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akesson
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Boeglin
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Burk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; D051149:Selenoprotein P; D051140:Selenoproteins; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D051149:Selenoprotein P; D051140:Selenoproteins; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium