title: The role of selenium deficiency in dilated cardiomyopathy in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Selenium deficiency is implicated in the etiology of endemic juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy in China, and in sporadic cases in other countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of selenium deficiency in the pathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathy in the Saudi Arabian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma and urine selenium concentrations from 72 Saudi patients with confirmed dilated cardiomyopathy were compared with corresponding values from 70 control subjects of the same national origin who had normal ventricular function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma and urine selenium concentrations (mean+/-SD) were 1.347plusmn;0.45 and 0.49+/-0.37 micromol/L, respectively, for the patient group, and 1.32+/-0.41 and 0.60+/-0.41 micromol/L, respectively, for the control group. The differences in the values between the two groups were statistically insignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the Saudi population, dilated cardiomyopathy is not caused by selenium deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fawzy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Yazigi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stefadouros
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Raines
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kinsara
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sivanandam
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Galal