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Selenium Status in Patients with Turner Syndrome: a Biochemical Assessment Related with Body Composition

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Abstract

Studies about selenium status in patients with Turner syndrome (TS) are non-existent in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate selenium status in patients with TS, while considering the different ages of the studied population and the relation with body composition. In total, 33 patients with TS were evaluated and grouped according to their developmental stages (children, adolescents, and adults). Selenium concentrations in their plasma, erythrocytes, urine, and nails were determined by using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity were measured by using Randox commercial kits. Additionally, height, weight, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist-height ratio were measured to characterize the patients. No differences in the selenium concentrations in the plasma, erythrocyte, urine, and nails or in the glutathione peroxidase activity were observed among the age groups (p > 0.05). The evaluated selenium levels were less than the established normal ones. The patients with larger waist circumference, body fat percentage, body mass index, and waist-height ratio showed lower glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity (p = 0.023). The present study shows that most patients with TS are deficient in selenium and that those with a greater accumulation of body fat have a lower GPx activity.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP/N° 2007/53865-8) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq/N° 130252/2006-9) for their financial support for this research, and the patients who made this research possible.

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Correspondence to Liliane Viana Pires.

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This study was conducted according to the guidelines established by the Declaration of Helsinki, and all the procedures involving human subjects/patients were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (EC # 128/2006). Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Pires, L.V., Siviero-Miachon, A.A., Spinola-Castro, A.M. et al. Selenium Status in Patients with Turner Syndrome: a Biochemical Assessment Related with Body Composition. Biol Trace Elem Res 176, 217–224 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0831-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0831-z

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