Geographic Factors and Plasma Selenium in Uremia and Dialysis

The importance of selenium (Se) as an essential trace element for man has been increasingly recognized. Blood Se levels in chronic uremic patients are frequently reported to be lower than in controls. Definitive determination of the Se status in uremic patients, however, is hampered by the wide range of blood Se content in humans from different parts of the world. The present study was designed to assess and compare the Se status in two European populations from Rostock (Germany) and Chieti (Italy). Plasma Se levels were evaluated in healthy controls, chronic renal failure nondialyzed patients (CRF) and hemodialysis patients (HD). All Se determinations were performed in a single laboratory. The Se concentration was significantly higher (p