title: Selenium status in blood, urine, and hair samples of newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Selenium (Se) is a trace element that has multiple functions. Low Se amounts in serum and hair have been reported in pediatric and adult cancer patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate Se levels in the serum, urine, and hair of pediatric cancer patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors when compared with healthy children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentrations of Se in the serum, hair, and urine of 32 Turkish children as healthy controls and 88 Turkish children diagnosed with acute leukemia (58), lymphoma (16), and solid tumors (14) were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Se levels in the serum and hair of the children with cancer were significantly lower than those of the controls. There were no differences between the leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors group. On the other hand, the Se levels of the urine samples were slightly elevated in cancer patients compared with the control group. There was no marked difference in the Se levels of patients with different types of cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Se deficiency might be associated with the development of pediatric cancer. Especially in children, additional studies are needed to define whether low levels of Se may play a role in cancer pathogenesis.
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaman
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mansuroğlu
authors.forename: Kadriye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kizilbey
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Derman
authors.forename: Afife Binnaz
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hazar
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000652:urine; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency / Q000652:urine; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D012643:Selenium