VARIATION IN SELENOPROTEIN-P CONCENTRATION IN SERUM FROM DIFFERENT EUROPEAN REGIONS

Objective: To study the variation in selenoprotein P levels in serum a mong healthy subjects from 17 European regions representing nine count ries. Subjects: Survey of 414 37-70-year-old subjects (197/217 males/f emales) from 17 regions. Results: The level of selenoprotein P varied significantly among regions and countries. When the highest concentrat ion of selenoprotein P encountered in samples from Maldegem (Belgium), was set at 100%, the mean concentration for other regions was: 92% Ba rcelona; 91% Ipswich and London; 89% Malmo and Vosselaan; 86% Lisbon; 85% Netherlands; 83% Umea; 82% Uppsala; 80% Paris; 79% Heidelberg; 78% Gothenburg and Grenoble; 74% Giessen; 71% Ioannina and 69% Epirus. Wh en the data were pooled for the nine countries the highest selenoprote in P concentration was observed for subjects from Spain. When this con centration was set at 100%, the mean concentration for other countries was: 99% Belgium and United Kingdom, 94% Portugal, 92% Netherlands an d Sweden, 86% France, 83% Germany and 76% Greece. The linear correlati on between serum selenium and serum selenoprotein P in the whole sampl e was 0.68, P < 0.001 (it = 414), and it was similar in men and women. Despite this high correlation the mean ratio between selenoprotein P and selenium varied 1.3-fold among regions. Conclusions: Both the conc entration of selenoprotein P as well as its proportion of total serum selenium in adult subjects vary among different European regions. Furt her studies are necessary to evaluate the physiological or medical imp lications of these differences. Sponsorship: Grants from the Swedish C ouncil for Forestry and Agricultural Research, the Pahlsson Foundation , the Swedish Institute, the Swedish Nutrition Foundation, and the Med ical Faculty, University of Lund. Descriptors: European survey, nutrie nt requirement, selenium status, selenoprotein P