Selenium status of healthy Turkish children

Selenium concentrations, in blood plasma, red blood cells, hair of 61 healthy children, ages 0-14 yr, were determined using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Starting from late lactation period, selenium concentrations in all these matrices were found to be increasing with age. A good correlation was found between erythrocyte and plasma, hair and plasma, and hair and erythrocyte selenium concentrations. Although plasma, erythrocyte, and hair selenium concentrations of girls seemed to be higher than that of boys (only in erythrocytes), selenium concentrations of girls were found to be significantly (p < 0.002) higher than that of boys, 71 +/- 9 ng/mL, vs 65 +/- 10 ng/mL, respectively. Selenium status of Turkish children is found to be lower than that found in the literature; marginal selenium deficiency could be important in the development of some selenium deficiency related diseases. There is a need for extension of this study to healthy children from different regions in Turkey and to different disease states.