Effects of pancreatic enzyme preparations on erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities and plasma selenium concentrations in cystic fibrosis

• Published in: Free radical biology & medicine Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 242 - 249
• Main Authors: Winklhofer-Roob, Brigitte M, Tiran, Beate, Tuchschmid, Peter E, van’t Hof, Martin A, Shmerling, David H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.07.1998
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cystic fibrosis; Cystic Fibrosis - blood; Cystic Fibrosis - drug therapy; Cystic Fibrosis - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Enzyme Activation - drug effects; Enzymes - pharmacology; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - enzymology; Erythrocytes - metabolism; Female; Glutathione peroxidase; Glutathione Peroxidase - analysis; Glutathione Peroxidase - drug effects; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Healthy subjects; Humans; Infant; Lipase - administration & dosage; Lipase - chemistry; Lipase - pharmacology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Pancreatic enzymes; Pancreatic Extracts - administration & dosage; Pancreatic Extracts - chemistry; Pancreatic Extracts - pharmacology; Pancreatin - administration & dosage; Pancreatin - chemistry; Pancreatin - pharmacology; Pancrelipase; Plasma concentrations; Selenium; Selenium - analysis; Selenium - blood; Swiss; Glutathione peroxidase; Plasma concentrations; Erythrocytes; Cystic fibrosis; Healthy subjects; Selenium; Swiss; Pancreatic enzymes
• ISSN: 0891-5849; 1873-4596
• DOI: 10.1016/S0891-5849(98)00061-6

To substitute for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) take pancreatic enzymes (PE) originating from porcine pancreas. Five different pancreatic enzyme preparations used by our patients contained 0.5–1.4 μg selenium per g tablet. In patients taking PE in doses that were gradually increased to improve fat absorption during a 48-month period, the effects of PE dose on erythrocyte selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGSH-Px) activities and plasma selenium concentrations were studied. At baseline, erythrocyte SeGSH-Px activities were significantly lower in patients ( p = .01), while plasma selenium concentrations did not differ between patients and healthy subjects. When PE dose and, consequently, selenium intake from PE was increased, erythrocyte SeGSH-Px activities ( p < .001) and plasma selenium concentrations ( p = .02) increased. Changes in SeGSH-Px activities during the initial 8 months correlated with those in selenium intake from PE ( r = 0.67, p < .001). Plasma selenium concentrations plateaued at 12 months and erythrocyte SeGSH-Px activities did so at 36 months, when patients had reached SeGSH-Px activities similar to those of healthy subjects. At 48 months, patients took an average lipase dose of 17400 U · kg −1 · d −1 and selenium dose from PE of 0.53 μg · kg −1 · d −1. We conclude that selenium content of PE preparations has a significant effect on SeGSH-Px activity in patients with CF. This form of selenium supply needs to be taken into account when selenium supplements are given to patients with CF.