Serum selenium is related to low-density lipoproteins in healthy children but not in children with diabetes.

The serum concentrations of selenium in 13 healthy children and 27 children with type 1 diabetes mellitus were evaluated in relation to serum lipoprotein and apolipoprotein concentrations. In healthy children a correlation was found between serum selenium and both serum cholesterol (r = 0.56; p less than 0.05) and serum triglycerides (r = 0.56; less than 0.05) and their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) + very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) fractions (r = 0.60 and 0.56 respectively; p less than 0.05), but not their high-density lipoprotein fractions. Associations were also found between selenium and apolipoproteins, especially A II and C II (r = 0.57; p less than 0.05). In diabetic children serum selenium was significantly correlated with apolipoproteins A II and Apo C II, but not with any lipoprotein or lipid or any of their fractions. This study supports the hypothesis that serum selenium is an integral part of the defence system against degradation products associated with LDL and VLDL in young healthy humans. These associations were not found in diabetes, which might suggest that the defence system against lipid peroxidation is less effective in this disease.