Selenium status in patients with aspirin-induced asthma

Abstract

Background: Platelets are involved in the pathogenesis of aspirin-induced asthma (AIA). AIA patients suffer from an active disease despite avoidance of aspirin, and it has been suggested that administration of aspirin to these patients increases the generation of immediate oxygen products of arachidonic acid, 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HPETE), in their platelets. 12-HPETE further activates the 5-lipoxygenase of leukotriene B4-producing inflammatory macrophages precipitating an acute asthmatic attack. Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) has the antioxidant capacity to reduce 12-HPETE, and thus modulate the arachidonic acid metabolic cascade. There is evidence that selenium (Se) nutrition can influence asthma but Se status in AIA patients has not received much attention. Methods: We measured Se concentrations and GPX activities in platelets and plasma from 13 patients with AIA. Age-and sex-matched healthy individuals served as the control group. Results: Patients with AIA had significantly higher median platelet Se concentration (102 ng/mg platelet protein) when compared with controls (49 ng/mg platelet protein, P ¼ 0.003). Plasma Se concentrations in patients with AIA and controls were not significantly different (P ¼ 0.59). Median platelet GPX activity was significantly higher in patients with AIA (102.7 mU/mg platelet protein) than in controls (66 mU/mg protein) (P ¼ 0.05). The patient and control groups when combined showed weak, but significant correlation between platelet Se concentration and platelet GPX activity (r ¼ 0.44; P ¼ 0.03). Conclusion: It is proposed that the higher platelet Se concentration observed in AIA patients contributed to the higher platelet GPX activity seen in these patients. Such an enhanced antioxidant defence system might represent an adaptive response to protect against increasing free radical production by inflammatory cells in AIA and help decelerate ongoing respiratory hypersensitivity.

Role of certain trace minerals in oxidative stress, inflammation, CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratios and lung function in asthmatic patients

“…8 In addition, different antioxidant enzymes, such as GSH peroxidase (GPx), GSH reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, with a wide range of activities are found in lung tissues and blood. 9,10 Compared with healthy subjects, asthmatic children have been found to have significantly increased serum oxidative stress and decreased GPx activity. 11 Essential trace minerals such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and selenium (Se) are known to play important roles in the maintenance of redox homeostasis, which are also required for immune system function.…”

Asthma in the 21st Century — Unexpected Applications of Ancient Treatments

“…Some studies have reported that asthma patients have lower selenium level in platelets and serum compared to healthy controls [245,246]. While others studies have found no relationship between serum selenium level and asthma in Japanese and Europe populations [247,248].…”

“…Subsequently, the phosphorylation of MAP kinases including p38, ERK 1/2 and JNK are supressed, which are crucial for gene transcription and production of proinflammatory cytokines [287]. In addition, curcumin inhibits HDM-induced lymphocyte proliferation and production of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and GM-CSF by lymphocytes from asthma patients [246]. These results indicate that curcumin may attenuate asthma symptom by inhibiting production of cytokines related to eosinophil function and IgE synthesis, and suppressing IgE-mediated reactions and hyperreactivity.…”