Plasma selenium levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese adults: a cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

Selenium exposure can induce liver insulin resistance and increased liver triglyceride concentrations in animals, which may link to an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, epidemiological studies investigating the association between elevated plasma selenium levels and NAFLD were not available. We aimed to investigate the association of selenium levels with the prevalence of NAFLD in Chinese adults. This was a cross-sectional study of 8550 Chinese adults aged 40 yr or older in Shanghai, China. A questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory tests were conducted. NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasound after the exclusion of alcohol abuse and other liver diseases. Plasma selenium concentration was assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The median concentration of plasma selenium was 213.0 μg/L. Elevated plasma selenium levels were associated with higher triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, post-loading plasma glucose, A1c, HOMA-IR, as well as ALT, AST and γ-GT (all P < 0.05). The odds ratios were substantially higher for NAFLD (OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.13–2.18) in the highest selenium quartile compared with those in the lowest quartile, after adjustment for potential cofounder. The results of this study provided epidemiological evidence that increased plasma selenium level is associated with elevated prevalence of NAFLD.

Impaired lung function is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease independently of metabolic syndrome features in middle-aged and elderly Chinese

“…The data presented in this article are based on the baseline survey of subsamples from Shanghai in eastern China [30, 31]. All studied individuals came from the Chongming District in Shanghai, China.…”

Association of calf circumference with insulin resistance and non-alcohol fatty liver disease: the REACTION study

“…The material presented in this study are based on the screen from Shanghai, China [17, 18]. Subjects who had complete material about sex; age; alcohol consumption habits and smoking; BMI, and a hepatic ultrasonic examination; and a medical history including the use of medications.…”

The Beneficiary Role of Selenium in Type II Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study

“…In 2016, a study on elderly individuals which was conducted in China ascertained that Se levels relate to type II diabetes due to increased glucose levels and their resistance to insulin [22]. Other Chinese scientists who carried out experimental studies during 2016 found out that increased Se levels relate with a more frequent presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and with increased triglyceride levels, LDL, fasting glucose, HBA1C, and insulin resistance [23].…”