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Blood Selenium and Serum Glutathione Peroxidase Levels Were Associated with Serum β-Amyloid in Older Adults

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Abstract

Background

Studies have established the association between blood β-amyloid (Aβ) levels and Alzheimer’s disease, but population-based studies concerning the association between selenium (Se) and Aβ levels in blood samples are very limited. Therefore, we explored the association in an elderly population with Se status and serum Aβ measures.

Methods

A cross-sectional study on 469 elderly individuals from four rural counties with diverse soil Se levels was carried out. Fasting blood Se, serum selenoprotein P (SELENOP), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), serum Aβ42, and Aβ40 were measured. Quantile regression models were used to determine the associations of blood Se, serum GPX, and SELENOP with Aβ levels.

Results

Significant negative associations were observed between blood Se and serum Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels at all percentiles (P < 0.05). The associations were generally stronger at higher Aβ42 and Aβ40 percentiles than lower Aβ42 and Aβ40 percentiles. Blood Se was positively associated with serum Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio at 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles. Significant positive associations were observed between serum GPX and Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels at all percentiles (P < 0.05). The positive associations were generally stronger at higher Aβ42 and Aβ40 percentiles than at lower percentiles. Serum GPX was negatively associated with Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio at 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles. No associations with serum SELENOP and Aβ levels were observed.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that higher Se levels are associated with lower serum Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels and with higher Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, and the results are specific for different selenoproteins.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC801102), the National Institutes of Health of USA (R01AG019181), and the Key Laboratory of Trace Element and Nutrition, National Health Commission of China (WLKFZ202201).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Nanwei Road, Beijing, 100050, China

    Jiao Luo, Liqin Su, Ning Xu, Ting Wang, Ranqi Shao & Yinlong Jin

  2. School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Jiao Luo

  3. Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Enshi, 445000, China

    Xiaohong He, Rangpeng Wu & Yunfeng Zhu

  4. Academy of Metrology & Quality Inspection, Shenzhen, 518000, China

    Yegang Du

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Frederick W. Unverzagt

  6. Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Ann M. Hake

  7. Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-2872, USA

    Sujuan Gao

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  1. Jiao Luo
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Contributions

Jiao Luo: data curation; software; formal analysis; writing—original draft; Liqin Su: conceptualization, funding acquisition, project administration, writing—review and editing; Xiaohong He: investigation, data curation, resources; Yegang Du: methodology, data curation, resources; Ning Xu: investigation, supervision; Rangpeng Wu: investigation, data curation; Yunfeng Zhu: investigation, data curation; Ting Wang: data curation, validation; Ranqi Shao: data curation, software; Frederick W. Unverzagt: resources, supervision; Ann M. Hake: resources, supervision; Yinlong Jin: resources, funding acquisition, supervision; Sujuan Gao: resources, funding acquisition, supervision.

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Correspondence to Liqin Su.

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Luo, J., Su, L., He, X. et al. Blood Selenium and Serum Glutathione Peroxidase Levels Were Associated with Serum β-Amyloid in Older Adults. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 3679–3687 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03480-4

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