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According to findings reported at the
83rd Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society in Denver,
Colorado last week, supplementing with selenium may help
to slow down the progression of autoimmune thyroid disease
-- and may be particularly effective during the onset of
thyroiditis.
The findings were reported by Munich,
Germany physician Barbara Gasnier, of the Medizinische Klinik
University.
The researchers believe that a deficiency
in selenium may contribute in part to development of autoimmune
thyroid problems because of selenium's impact
on certain immune system enzymes.
The study looked at 72 women at an average
age of 42, all who had autoimmune thyroiditis. In all the
women, thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies and/or thyroglobulin
(Tg) antibody levels were greater than 350 U/mL.
Half the patients received selenium
supplementation for three months; the other half received
a placebo. All patients were normalized on their thyroid
hormone treatment. At the conclusion of the three-month
period, autoantibody levels were measured.
Interesting, nine
of the patients taking
selenium supplementation had antibody levels that returned
completely to normal.
Two members
of the placebo control group had antibodies return to normal.
Among those in the selenium group, the
mean TPO antibody levels decreased significantly in the
selenium group. The higher the TPO at the onset of the test,
the greater the reduction was seen in the TPO antibody levels
at the end of the three months.
Selenium substitution with 200 micrograms
of selenium may improve the inflammatory activity in patients
with autoimmune thyroiditis, but whether this effect is
specific for autoimmune thyroiditis or may also be effective
in other organ-specific autoimmune diseases has to be investigated.
Dr. Gasnier has indicated that the selenium
may be increasing peroxidase activity, lowering free radicals,
and reducing inflammation.
Mary Shomon
Thyroid Expert Guide at
About.com June
25, 2001
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