Evaluation of Serum Selenium Levels in Turkish Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Glucose Intolerants, and Normal Controls

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between serum selenium levels in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and glucose intolerants and compare them with those of glucose-tolerant pregnant women. This cross-sectional study was prospectively performed in a total of 178 pregnant women undergoing a 50-g oral glucose tolerance test between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation who were grouped according to their status of glucose tolerance as with gestational diabetes (group A, abnormal 1- and 3-h glucose tolerance test; n = 30), glucose intolerant (group B, abnormal 1-h but normal 3-h glucose tolerance test; n = 47), or normal controls (group C, normal 1-h glucose test; n = 101). Serum selenium levels were measured with a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer using a matrix modifier. Median maternal age and gestational age at the time of diagnosis in group A (gestational age = 24.8 [24-27]), group B (gestational age = 24.7 [24-27]), and group C (gestational age = 25 [24-28]) did not differ. Patients with gestational diabetes mellitus and those with glucose intolerants had lower selenium level than that of the normal pregnant women (P< 0.001). There was a significant inverse correlation between selenium and blood glucose level, and also selenium supplementation might prove beneficial on patients with GDM and prevent or retard them from secondary complications of diabetes.

Na+/I− Symporter and Type 3 Iodothyronine Deiodinase Gene Expression in Amniotic Membrane and Placenta and Its Relationship to Maternal Thyroid Hormones

“…One additional result of our study has been the information about the serum selenium levels of pregnant women in the region, which corroborates other studies conducted in Turkish pregnant women [34,35]. Despite the lack of a recommended borderline value, the whole group of patients seems to have low selenium levels [36].…”

Selenium biochemistry and its role for human health

“…[233][234][235][236] Lower plasma/serum Se levels have also been found in gestational diabetic pregnancies with respect to normal pregnancies. 237,238 Conversely, other works have found high Se status in patients with diabetes, or did not observe any significant differences. 239,240 Finally, in some cases the difference in Se status was limited to specific sub-groups such as males 241 or patients with a disease duration r2 years.…”

Serum selenium level and gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The characteristics of the studies included in the present meta-analysis are given in Table 1. Of the seven studies included in the meta-analysis, two were carried out in Kuwait [17, 20], one in China [16], one in Italy [18], one in Turkey [19], one in Hungar [22] and one in Sudan [21]. GDM was usually diagnosed during the 24–28 weeks of gestation.…”

“…The definition used for GDM was the criteria proposed by Carpenter and Coustan in three studies [18, 19, 21], and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria in two studies [20, 22]. Blood samples for selenium measurement were collected in the second [16, 18, 19, 22] and third [16, 17, 20, 21] trimester of gestation. Six studies were case-control [16–18, 20–22], and one cross-sectional design [19].…”

“…The scientific evidence linking selenium with T2DM is growing large, but data investigating the correlation between selenium status and GDM are controversial. In this regard, some studies reported that women with GDM showed lower concentrations of serum selenium than healthy pregnant women [16–19], while Molnar et al showed the contrary [22]. Meanwhile, no significant association between serum selenium and GDM was documented [20, 21].…”