title: Association between serum selenium level and conversion of bacteriological tests during antituberculosis treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether serum selenium levels are associated with the conversion of bacteriological tests in patients diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis after eight weeks of standard treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 35 healthy male controls and 35 male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, the latter being evaluated at baseline, as well as at 30 and 60 days of antituberculosis treatment. For all participants, we measured anthropometric indices, as well as determining serum levels of albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and selenium. Because there are no reference values for the Brazilian population, we used the median of the serum selenium level of the controls as the cut-off point. At 30 and 60 days of antituberculosis treatment, we repeated the biochemical tests, as well as collecting sputum for smear microscopy and culture from the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 38.4 ± 11.4 years. Of the 35 patients, 25 (71%) described themselves as alcoholic; 20 (57.0%) were smokers; and 21 (60.0%) and 32 (91.4%) presented with muscle mass depletion as determined by measuring the triceps skinfold thickness and arm muscle area, respectively. Of 24 patients, 12 (39.2%) were classified as moderately or severely emaciated, and 15 (62.5%) had lost > 10% of their body weight by six months before diagnosis. At baseline, the tuberculosis group had lower serum selenium levels than did the control group. The conversion of bacteriological tests was associated with the CRP/albumin ratio and serum selenium levels 60 days after treatment initiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher serum selenium levels after 60 days of treatment were associated with the conversion of bacteriological tests in pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Milena Lima de
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Maria de Paula
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ramalho
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina Neves
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Delogo
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pryscila Fernandes Campino
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliene Denites Duarte
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hedi Marinho de Melo Guedes de
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruffino-Netto
authors.affiliation: Ceará State University, Fortaleza, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo César de
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rachel Ann
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hauser-Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Reinaldo Calixto
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Afrânio Lineu
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kritski
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Martha Maria de
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012643:Selenium