Association Between Toenail Selenium and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in European Men: The EURAMIC Study

Kardinaal, A.F.M.; Kok, F.J.; Kohlmeier, Lenore; Martín-Moreno, José M.; Ringstad, Jetmund; Gómez-Aracena, Jorge; Мазаев, В.П.; Thamm, Michael; Martin, Brian; Aro, Antti; Kark, Jeremy D.; Delgado-Rodrı́guez, Miguel; Riemersma, Rudolph A.; Veer, P. t van; Huttunen, Jussi K.

doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009115

Cited by 84 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Although previous studies have assessed the selenium content in toe nails, which is 9 -15% lower than that of fingernails (Baskett et al, 1995), selenium concentrations in these British men are still somewhat lower than those reported in North American populations (Yoshizawa et al, 1998;Ghadirian et al, 2000;Helzlsouer et al, 2000) and are comparable with other European populations (Kardinaal et al, 1997;van den Brandt et al, 2003). It is well established that the selenium content of European soils is low and that dietary intake has been gradually declining due to a reduction in imported selenium-rich wheat from the US and Canada, together with a general decline in cereal consumption (Rayman, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

A case–control study of selenium in nails and prostate cancer risk in British men

et al. 2004

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In view of the experimental evidence suggesting that the micronutrient selenium reduces prostate cancer risk, we investigated the association between the selenium level in fingernails, a measure of long-term selenium intake, and prostate cancer risk in a case -control study among 656 British men, conducted in 1989British men, conducted in -1992. Nail clippings were taken at the time of recruitment and selenium concentration, measured using neutron activation techniques, was successfully assayed for 300 case -control pairs and varied six-fold among the controls (0.59 p.p.m.; interquartile range, 0.50 -0.71 p.p.m.). Nail selenium concentration was not significantly associated with prostate cancer risk: men in the highest quartile of nail selenium had a slightly increased risk compared with men in the lowest quartile (OR 1.24, 95 CI, 0.73 -2.10); for advanced prostate cancer, men in the highest quartile had a slightly reduced risk compared with men in the lowest quartile (OR 0.78, 95% CI, Selenium is an essential trace element found largely in grains, fish and meat products and has been shown to have antioxidant and other potentially anticarcinogenic properties (Combs and Gray, 1998). Experimental evidence indicates that selenium supplementation can reduce the incidence of viral and chemically induced tumours in animals (Vernie, 1984), including prostate cancer cell lines (Menter et al, 2000).The selenium content in foods varies widely between regions (Levander, 1987) because it is largely determined by the amount of selenium in the soil. Ecological data suggest that regional cancer mortality rates in the United States are inversely correlated with the selenium concentration in plants (Clark et al, 1991), and a randomised controlled trial among skin cancer patients found selenium supplementation of 200 mg day À1 to be associated with a significant 63% reduction in prostate cancer incidence (Clark et al, 1996;Duffield-Lillico et al, 2002). However, little is known about the relationship between the selenium status and prostate cancer risk in the general population.The aim of this study is to investigate the association between nail selenium concentration, a marker of long-term intake, and prostate cancer risk. A subsidiary aim is to examine whether factors that may influence selenium status, such as smoking (Hunter et al, 1990), vitamin E intake (Diplock, 1978) or the aggressiveness of disease at the time of recruitment (Yoshizawa et al, 1998;Goodman et al, 2001) modify the association between selenium concentration and prostate cancer risk. SUBJECTS AND METHODSA population-based case -control study of the association between diet and prostate cancer was established in Britain, between 1989 and 1992, and included 328 men with incident prostate cancer and 328 population-based controls (Key et al, 1997). The study was restricted to white men under the age of 75 years who could speak English and who were well enough to complete a diet interview and give a reasonable history. Identification of cases was by searching a...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

A case–control study of selenium in nails and prostate cancer risk in British men

et al. 2004

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“…However, about six other studies have not shown a clear association between cardiovascular risk and low Se, although these studies differ from the previously mentioned studies in having included few or no subjects with low Se status (Salvini et al 1995;Neve, 1996). That a low Se status may be relevant was suggested by the findings of Kardinaal et al (1997) in the ten-centre EURAMIC study, in which a significant inverse association between toenail Se levels and risk of myocardial infarction was shown only for Germany, the centre with the lowest Se status (odds ratio 0-62 (95% CI 0-42, 0-91)). Thus, the effect may only be apparent in populations of low Se status, lower than the levels present in the USA and a large part of Europe.…”

Section: Health Effects Related To the Role Of Selenium As Antioxidantmentioning

confidence: 89%

The argument for increasing selenium intake

2002

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The essential trace mineral, Se, is of fundamental importance to human health. As a constituent of selenoproteins it plays both structural and enzymic roles, in the latter context being best known as an antioxidant and catalyst for the production of active thyroid hormone. While Se-deficiency diseases have been recognised for some time, evidence is mounting that less-overt deficiency can also cause adverse health effects and furthermore, that supra-nutritional levels of Se may give additional protection from disease. In the context of these effects, low or diminishing Se status in some parts of the world, notably in some European countries such as the UK, is giving cause for concern. While deficiency has an adverse effect on immunocompetence, Se supplementation appears to enhance the immune response. Se appears to be a key nutrient in counteracting certain viral infections; thus, in a Se-deficient host the benign coxsackie virus becomes virulent, causing heart damage, the influenza virus causes more serious lung pathology and HIV infection progresses more rapidly to AIDS. Long recognised as essential for successful animal reproduction, Se is required for human sperm maturation and sperm motility and may reduce the risk of miscarriage. Deficiency has been linked to adverse mood states. Findings have been equivocal in linking Se to cardiovascular disease risk, although other conditions involving oxidative stress and inflammation have shown some association with Se status. There is growing evidence that higher Se intakes are associated with reduced cancer risk. While persuasive evidence already exists to suggest that additional Se would be beneficial in some health conditions, results from intervention trials underway or planned have the potential to reinforce or refute the argument for increasing Se intake.

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“…4,52 That a low Se status may be relevant was suggested by the findings of Kardinaal and colleagues in the 10-centre EURAMIC study where a significant inverse association between toenail Se levels and risk of myocardial infarction was shown only for the centre with the lowest Se (Germany). 53 Thus the effect may only be apparent in populations of low Se status, lower than the levels obtaining in the US and a large part of Europe. The disparity between studies may also be explained to some extent by the status of other antioxidants such as vitamin E, which may compensate for a deficiency in Se in protection against atherosclerosis.…”

Section: Thyroid Functionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The disparity between studies may also be explained to some extent by the status of other antioxidants such as vitamin E, which may compensate for a deficiency in Se in protection against atherosclerosis. 53 A further factor to be taken into consideration when assessing these studies is that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory state and will provoke the acute phase response to a degree related its severity. Being an acute phase reactant, 54 some fall in plasma Se concentration might be expected in subjects suffering from atherosclerosis, even before the occurrence of an event.…”

Section: Thyroid Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%