Environmental factors, health-related habits, and serum selenium levels incancer patients and healthy controls

Previous studies conducted in Yugoslavia indicated that the concentration o f selenium in soil, food items, and serum of the population is very low. Th e aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship among envir onmental, health-related habits, nutrition, and selenium serum levels in ca ncer patients and the healthy population. The case-control study included a group of cancer patients and a matched gr oup of healthy controls: 57 cancer patients and 41 healthy controls living in Stari Grad (an urban area of Belgrade), as well as 17 cancer patients an d 13 healthy controls living in Barajevo (a rural community in the vicinity of Belgrade). The healthy controls were matched to cancer patients in sex and age; they were not blood related. The selenium serum levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotome try. Health-related habits and relevant dietary factors ("food frequency" m ethod) that may influence the selenium serum levels were assessed by questi onnaires. The differences in average values of selenium serum levels between the canc er patients and healthy controls were not significantly different, but both were below the lowest recorded in referential studies. A significant diffe rence between the values obtained from urban and rural subgroups was noted. The most important factors that influenced the level of selenium included t he residence place in the region with selenium deficiency (Barajevo), age, associated chronic diseases, and some dietary factors potentially related t o the intake of selenium. The results obtained in this investigation pointe d out that use of selenium supplementation in this area should be seriously considered.