SELENIUM STATUS IS DECREASED IN PATIENTS WITH INTRINSIC ASTHMA

Lowered selenium (Se) status has been observed in asthma patients. An increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) owing to inflamm atory condition has also been found in these patients and thus antioxi dant properties of Se via glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity are of great importance. Concentrations of Se in plasma and erythrocytes as well as eryth-rocyte GPx activity in 22 intrinsic asthma patients (fiv e patients; all women were aspirin-sensitive) were compared with those of 33 control subjects. Se concentrations in both plasma and erythroc ytes and GPx activity were decreased in intrinsic asthma patients. The re were no significant differences in investigated parameters of Se st atus between aspirin-tolerant and aspirin-intolerant patients within i ntrinsic asthma group. Significantly high positive correlation between plasma and erythrocyte Se concentrations was found when regarding all subjects as a whole. Se supplementation might be beneficial to patien ts with intrinsic asthma, which may be at risk of Se deficiency.