SELENIUM STATUS AND BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA IN PRETERM INFANTS LESS-THAN-1500G

Selenium is an essential component of the antioxidant enzyme glutathio ne peroxydase that protects tissues against oxydative injury by detoxi fying peroxides. In preterm infants the risk for selenium deficiency i s increased due to insufficient selenium uptake. Low selenium uptake a nd as a consequence decreased glutathione peroxidase activity may resu lt in an elevated risk for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplas ia (BPD). The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the rel ationship between the selenium status of preterm infants < 1500 g and the incidence of BPD. We determined the selenium plasma levels by mean s of atomic absorption spectrometry in 34 VLBW infants (mean birth wei ght 1075 +/- 249 g; mean gestational age 28,6 +/- 2,5 weeks) within th e first 5 days of life and later in the age of 4 weeks. The infants re ceived mainly parenteral nutrition and were not specifically supplied with selenium. Postnatally, the selenium plasma level was 34,2 mu g/l (17,3/50) [median (25/75% quantil)] and dropped after 4 weeks to a med ian value of 16,1 mu g/l (5,2/38,4) (p < 0,001). In the infants with B PD (n = 12) the selenium concentration within the first week of life w as 45,0 mu g/l (31,5/55,6) versus 33,2 mu g/l (20,2/42,4) in the infan ts without BPD. In the age of 4 weeks of life the median selenium leve l was not significantly different between the infants with and without BPD - 17,2 mu g/l (10,3/22,5) versus 14,8 mu g/l (8,8/22,6). Conclusi on We did not find any relationship between the selenium status and th e incidence of BPD in our study population.