Selenoprotein P Concentration in Plasma is an Index of Selenium Status in Selenium-Deficient and Selenium-Supplemented Chinese Subjects

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 126; no. 1; pp. 138 - 145
• Main Authors: Hill, Kristina E., Xia, Yiming, Åkesson, Björn, Boeglin, Martha E., Burk, Raymond F.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutritional Sciences 01.01.1996; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aging - blood; Aging - physiology; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Female; Food, Fortified; Glutathione Peroxidase - blood; Health Status Indicators; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Immunity (Disease); Linear Models; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; Proteins; Proteins - analysis; Radioimmunoassay; Rodents; Selenium - administration & dosage; Selenium - blood; Selenium - deficiency; Selenoprotein P; Selenoproteins; Tropical medicine; United States; Asia; China; United States; Human; Nutritional indicator; Selenoprotein; Nutrition; Trace element (nutrient); Diagnosis; Selenium; Inorganic element; Public health; Nutritional deficiency; Nutritional status; Feeding
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/126.1.138

Selenoprotein P, a selenium-rich plasma protein, is an index of selenium status in rats. Antibodies against human selenoprotein P were raised to study the protein and to develop a radioimmunoassay for it. A single collection of plasma from a healthy person in the United States contained 1.84 mumol selenium/L and was defined as containing 1 Unit (U) selenoprotein P/L. Removal of selenoprotein P from the reference plasma by an antibody column indicated that 0.81 mumol selenium/L, or 44% of the plasma selenium, was present as selenoprotein P. Work by others had determined that glutathione peroxidase accounted for 12% of plasma selenium. Stored plasma samples from selenium-deficient (Dechang County) and selenium-supplemented (Mianning County) populations in China were assayed for selenoprotein P. Boys aged 8-12 y had selenoprotein P concentrations of 0.10 +/- 0.04 U/L (n = 22) in Dechang and 0.39 +/- 0.17 U/L (n = 17) in Mianning. Supplementation with 100 micrograms selenium as selenate per day for 14 d raised those levels to 0.51 +/- 0.13 U/L in Dechang and to 0.76 +/- 0.27 U/L in Mianning. Similar results were obtained in men, and plasma selenium concentrations correlated with selenoprotein P concentrations. A study comparing indices of selenium status was conducted in the two counties. Selenoprotein P concentration in Dechang subjects (n = 79) was 36% of that in Mianning subjects (n = 117). For plasma glutathione peroxidase activity the value was 54%; for plasma selenium, 47%; and for whole blood selenium, 64%. We conclude that selenoprotein P is the major selenoprotein in human plasma and that its concentration is an index of selenium nutritional status that appears to be as sensitive as other indices in common use.