Effect of selenium on markers of risk of pre-eclampsia in UK pregnant women: a randomised, controlled pilot trial.

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia is a serious hypertensive condition of pregnancy associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Se intake or status has been linked to the occurrence of pre-eclampsia by our own work and that of others. We hypothesised that a small increase in the Se intake of UK pregnant women of inadequate Se status would protect against the risk of pre-eclampsia, as assessed by biomarkers of pre-eclampsia. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial, we randomised 230 primiparous pregnant women to Se (60 μg/d, as Se-enriched yeast) or placebo treatment from 12 to 14 weeks of gestation until delivery. Whole-blood Se concentration was measured at baseline and 35 weeks, and plasma selenoprotein P (SEPP1) concentration at 35 weeks. The primary outcome measure of the present study was serum soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1), an anti-angiogenic factor linked with the risk of pre-eclampsia. Other serum/plasma components related to the risk of pre-eclampsia were also measured. Between 12 and 35 weeks, whole-blood Se concentration increased significantly in the Se-treated group but decreased significantly in the placebo group. At 35 weeks, significantly higher concentrations of whole-blood Se and plasma SEPP1 were observed in the Se-treated group than in the placebo group. In line with our hypothesis, the concentration of sFlt-1 was significantly lower at 35 weeks in the Se-treated group than in the placebo group in participants in the lowest quartile of Se status at baseline (P= 0·039). None of the secondary outcome measures was significantly affected by treatment. The present finding that Se supplementation has the potential to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women of low Se status needs to be validated in an adequately powered trial.

• Authors: Margaret P Rayman, Elizabeth Searle, Lynne Kelly, Sigurd Johnsen, Katherine Bodman-Smith, Sarah C Bath, Jinyuan Mao, Christopher W G Redman
• Journal: The British journal of nutrition (Br J Nutr) Vol. 112 Issue 1 Pg. 99-111 (Jul 14 2014) ISSN: 1475-2662 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 24708917 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Selenoprotein P
• FLT1 protein, human
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
• Selenium

Topics

• Adult
• Biomarkers (analysis, blood)
• Dietary Supplements
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Humans
• Incidence
• Nails (chemistry)
• Nutritional Status
• Pilot Projects
• Pre-Eclampsia (blood, epidemiology, etiology, prevention & control)
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Trimester, First
• Risk
• Selenium (analysis, blood, deficiency, therapeutic use)
• Selenoprotein P (blood)
• United Kingdom (epidemiology)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 (blood)
• Yeast, Dried (chemistry, therapeutic use)