Cerebrospinal fluid levels of selenium in patients with Alzheimer's disease

We compared CSF and serum selenium levels, measured by atomic absorption sp ectrophotometry, in 27 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (13 females, 14 males, mean +/- SD age 73.6 +/- 7.4 years) without major clinical signs of undernutrition, and 34 matched controls (18 females, 16 males, mean +/- SD age 70.7 +/- 7.8 years). CSF and serum selenium levels did not differ si gnificantly between AD-patient (11.4 +/- 7.8ng/ml and 28.5 +/- 13.0ng/ml, r espectively) and control groups (13.3 +/- 7.0ng/ml and 22.5 +/- 17.5ng/ml). These values were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the d isease, and scores of the MiniMental State Examination in the AD group. Wei ght and body mass index were significantly lower in AD patients than in con trols. These results suggest that CSF selenium concentrations are apparentl y unrelated with the reported oxidative stress processes in patients with A D.