title: Influence of physiological dietary selenium supplementation on the natural course of autoimmune thyroiditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our study aimed to investigate whether physiological doses of selenium (Se) influence the natural course of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 76 consecutive patients (65 F, 11 M, median 43, range 15-75 years) with AIT, normal or slightly elevated TSH and fT4 within the normal range were divided into two groups: Group 0 (30 cases) was given no treatment while Group 1 (46 cases) was treated with sodium selenite 80 μg/day as a single oral dose for 12 months. Thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TPO-Ab; Tg-Ab), TSH, fT4 and urine iodine concentrations (UIC) were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Thyroid ultrasonography (US) was performed at each follow-up point. Echogenicity was measured by histographic analysis of gray-scale pixels (gsp) ranging from 0 = black to 255 = white.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thyroid echogenicity decreased significantly in both groups after 6 months, but after 12 months, it had changed no more in Group 1, whereas it had dropped further in Group 0. No significant variation in TPO-Ab or Tg-Ab levels was observed between the two groups after 6 months, but both values decreased significantly after 12 months in Group 1, and five patients in this group became negative for TPO-Ab. TSH and FT4 showed no significant variations in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary supplementation with physiological doses of Se seems to be effective in preventing a reduction in thyroid echogenicity after 6 months of treatment and in reducing TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab after 12 months, but does not modify TSH or FT4.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padua Veneto Institute of Oncology Department of Laboratory Medicine, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nacamulli
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mian
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petricca
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lazzarotto
authors.forename: Susi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barollo
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pozza
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masiero
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faggian
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plebani
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Girelli
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mantero
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Betterle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D018038:Sodium Selenite