Antioxidant and immune status in active Crohn's disease. A possible relationship.
OBJECTIVE
As reactive oxygen has been demonstrated to participate in immune genes transcription, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between systemic concentrations of several antioxidants and markers of inflammatory and immune activation in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).


METHODS
In 26 CD patients and 15 controls we compared plasma selenium and zinc concentrations, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and superoxide dismutase activities, as well as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, blood neopterin and soluble receptors of interleukin-2 (sIL-2R), and examined the link between these parameters.


RESULTS
Selenium concentration and GSHPx activity were decreased in CD patients (54.5 +/- 3.2 vs 79 &plusmn 2.2 microg/l, P<< 0.05; 28 +/- 1.6 vs 38 +/- 2.6 IU/g Hb, P<< 0.05) and positively correlated to each other's (r= 0.59, P<< 0.01). TNF-alpha was significantly increased in patients (18 +/- 2.6 vs 5 +/- 0.6 pg/ml;P<< 0.001), negatively correlated to GSHPx activity (r= -0.56, P<< 0.05) and selenium concentration (r= -0.72, P<< 0.001), and positively to neopterin and sIL-2R concentrations. Selenium showed negative correlation with sIL-2R (r= -0.83, P<< 0.0001) and ESR.


CONCLUSIONS
In CD patients low selenium concentration may participate in reduced GSHPx activity facilitating inflammatory and immune activation. In these patients, selenium monitoring and, if needed, supplementation may be of therapeutical interest.
Reimund
J M
JM
Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et d'Assistance Nutritive, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.
Hirth
C
C
Koehl
C
C
Baumann
R
R
Duclos
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
D000975:Antioxidants; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019798:Neopterin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc