Selenium Deficiency Linked to HIV Disease Progression

BOSTON--Lower plasma selenium levels are significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality, according to a study published in the October issue of The American Journal of Nutrition (134:2556-2560, 2004) (www.nutrition.org).

In a prospective study of 949 HIV-1-infected pregnant Tanzanian women, researchers investigated the association between plasma selenium levels and survival and CD4 counts over time (CD4 cells coordinate the immune systems response to certain micro-organisms such as viruses; HIV infects and kills CD4 cells). Over the 5.7-year median follow-up time, 306 of the 949 women died.

In a Cox multivariate model, lower plasma selenium levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality. Each 0.1 µmol/L increase in plasma selenium levels was related to a 5 percent decreased risk of mortality. Plasma selenium levels were not associated with time to progression to CD4 cell count, but were weakly and positively related to CD4 cell count in the first years of follow-up.

The researchers concluded selenium status may be important for clinical outcomes related to HIV disease in sub-Saharan Africa.