Effect of double-blind cross-over selenium supplementation on lipid peroxidation markers in cystic fibrosis patients.

Lipid peroxidation was assessed in 27 cystic fibrosis children during a double-blind selenium supplementation study (2.8 micrograms of sodium selenite per kg per day) with a placebo control and inversion of treatment periods. Simultaneously, 17 healthy children living in the same area were also investigated as control subjects. Before any treatment whatsoever and despite a selenium status close to those of control subjects, cystic fibrosis patients showed significant increase in plasma lipid peroxidation markers. Thiobarbituric acid reactants (TBARs) were normalized after the first treatment period of 5 months in both cystic fibrosis groups receiving either selenium supplementation or placebo. In this latter group, TBARs were reduced despite a significant decrease in plasma selenium concentrations as compared with the control group. Organic hydroperoxide concentrations were also simultaneously normalized in both cystic fibrosis groups at the end of the second treatment period. These results showed that improvement of lipid peroxidation markers was not related to the selenium supplementation. Nevertheless, oxidative stress sustained by cystic fibrosis children must be taken into account so that it does not aggravate the prognosis of the disease.