title: Serum selenium is associated with plasma homocysteine concentrations in elderly humans.
abstract: Low selenium levels in humans have been associated with several pathologies; however, an earlier animal investigation found a direct association between Se intake and total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations. To date, the importance of serum selenium levels in association with tHcy in humans has not been determined. We evaluated the cross-sectional association of blood selenium concentrations with plasma tHcy and other determinants of this cardiovascular disease risk factor. We estimated protein intake and measured the blood status of selenium, tHcy, and several other related factors in serum such as folate, vitamin B-12, and creatinine. Serum selenium was inversely associated with tHcy, explaining 5.8% of tHcy variance with respect to 2.2% accounted for by serum folate. Furthermore, there was a 63% decreased risk of higher tHcy concentrations (>14 micro mol/L) for subjects with serum selenium in the highest tertile (P = 0.013). We also found an inverse association of protein intake with tHcy in men (beta = -0.144; P = 0.036), which disappeared after controlling for serum Se concentrations (beta = -0.055; P = 0.003). In conclusion, selenium should be considered as a potential factor to lower tHcy. In addition, the described association between protein intake and homocysteine levels could be mediated by this trace element.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Funcional, Area de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, Julián Clavería s/n, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Huerta
authors.forename: Julieta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Uría
authors.forename: Serafina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Angeles M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lasheras
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D012643:Selenium; D014805:Vitamin B 12