Decreasing Selenium Levels and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in Patients With Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Authors: ABDURRAHİM KOÇYİĞİT, ÖZCAN EREL, MEHMET SALİH GÜREL, ADNAN SEYREK, NECMEDDİN AKTEPE, SELAHATTİN GÜR, SENEL AVCI

Abstract: For most infectious diseases, increased formation of reactive oxygen species is secondary to the primary disease process. Some microorganisms are highly susceptible to exogenous reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) remove H 2 O 2 , and selenium is requird for the activity of GSH-Px. Therefore, to assess the status of GSH-Px and selenium in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), we determined serum selenium concentration and blood GSH-Px activity in 52 patients with CL and in 38 healthy controls. Selenium concentrations and GSH-Px activities were found to be lower in the patient group than in the controls (p<0.0001). Serum albumin and hematocrit % (Htc%) levels were not different in patients than in controls. There were positive relationships between selenium concentrations and GSH-Px activities (r=0.703, p<0.0001), selenium and albumin ( r= 0.344, p<0.05), GSH-Px and Htc%(r=0.48, p<0.01) in CL patients. We suggest that selenium has an important role in the pathophysiologic processes of CL, and that the decreasing levels of selenium may be a host defense strategy of the organism against CL infection.

Keywords: cutaneous leishmaniasis, selenium, glutathione peroxidase

Full Text: PDF