Selenium intake reduces serum C3, an early marker of metabolic syndrome manifestations, in healthy young adults

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 63; no. 7; pp. 858 - 864
• Main Authors: Puchau, B, Zulet, M.A, González de Echávarri, A, Navarro-Blasco, I, Martínez, J.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.07.2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adolescent; Adult; Adults; anthropometric measurements; Antioxidants; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - analysis; blood lipids; Blood pressure; blood serum; Body fat; Body weight; Body Weights and Measures; Cholesterol; Clinical Nutrition; complement; Complement C3 - analysis; Complement component C3; complement factor 3; diet-related diseases; Epidemiology; Exercise; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose; High density lipoprotein; human diseases; human nutrition; Humans; Insulin - blood; Internal Medicine; lifestyle; Lipids - blood; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Markers; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Micronutrients - therapeutic use; Miscellaneous; Nails - chemistry; nutrient intake; Nutrition research; nutritional status; original-article; Other metabolic disorders; Overweight; Oxidation; Oxidative stress; prediction; Properties; Public Health; Selenium; Selenium - administration & dosage; Selenium - analysis; Serum; Smoking; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Trace elements; Trace Elements - administration & dosage; Trace Elements - analysis; triacylglycerols; Triglycerides; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult; Young adults; United Kingdom; metabolic syndrome; antioxidant; complement factor 3; selenium; inflammation; oxidative stress; Endocrinopathy; Human; Consumption; Oxidative stress; Cardiovascular disease; Metabolic diseases; Complement; Inflammation; Marker; Antioxidant; Metabolic syndrome; Young adult; Early; Serum; Selenium
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2008.48

Objectives: To evaluate the associations between serum complement factor 3 (C3) and several anthropometrical, biochemical and lifestyle features in healthy young adults, emphasizing on the putative effect of selenium intake on C3 concentrations. Methods: This study enrolled 100 healthy young adults aged 18-34 years. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements and lifestyle features were analyzed. Fasting blood samples were collected for the measurement of glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerols and C3 concentrations. Nail samples were collected for the analysis of selenium concentrations. Results: Values of BMI (P=0.034), sum of skinfold thicknesses (STs) (P=0.021), body fat mass (BFM) (P=0.023), percentage of overweight subjects (P=0.007), serum triacylglycerols (P=0.012) and nail selenium (P=0.001) were significantly different between subjects above and below the median of serum C3 concentrations. The following correlations with serum C3 were identified tricipital ST (P=0.033), sum of STs (P=0.012), BMI (P=0.008), BFM (P=0.018), waist-to-height ratio (P=0.016), serum glucose (P=0.045), serum triacylglycerols (P=0.001) and nail selenium (P=0.006). Circulating C3 showed a positive association with several adiposity markers such as BMI (P=0.001), waist circumference (P=0.006), waist-to-height ratio (P=0.002), BFM (P=0.025), as well as serum glucose (P=0.027) and triacylglycerols (P<0.001), whereas nail selenium was a statistically significant negative predictor of C3 concentrations (P=0.018). Conclusions: C3 seems to be related with selenium status and several anthropometrical and biochemical measurements linked to metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy young adults. These findings suggest a possible role for selenium intake in the modulation of C3, whose assessment may be an early marker of metabolic syndrome manifestations.