Affiliations: Department of Endocrinology, Medizinische Klinik
Innenstadt, University of Munich, D-80336 Munich, Germany
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Prof. Dr. Roland Gärtner,
Medizinische Klinik Innenstadt der Universität München, Ziemssenstr. 1,
D-80336 München, Germany. Tel.: +49 89 5160 2332; Fax: +49 89 5160 4430;
E-mail: rgartner@medinn.med.uni-muenchen.de
Abstract: We recently conducted a prospective, placebo-controlled clinical
study, where we could demonstrate, that a substitution of
200 μg sodium selenite for three months in patients with
autoimmune thyroiditis reduced thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab)
concentrations significantly. Forty-seven patients from the initially 70
patients agreed to participate in a follow-up cross-over study for further six
months. One group (n = 13), which initially received selenium
continued to take 200 μg sodium selenite (Se-Se), one
group stopped taking selenium (Se-0) ( n = 9), another group
which received placebo started to take 200 μg selenium
(n = 14) (Plac-Se) and the last group was without selenium
substitution (Plac-0) (n = 11). TPO-Ab concentrations were
measured at beginning and the end of the study. In the Se-Se group, the TPO-Ab
concentrations further significantly p = 0.004) decreased from
625 ± 470 U/ml to 354 ± 321 U/ml, in
the Se-0 group the TPO-Ab concentrations increased
significantly p = 0.017) from 450 ± 335
to 708 ± 313 U/ml. In the placebo group, the TPO-Ab
concentrations in those patients who were followed without selenium
substitution were unchanged (1351 ± 940 vs. 1724
± 1112 U/ml, p = 0.555). In contrast, the
patients who received 200 μg sodium selenite after placebo,
the TPO-Ab concentrations decreased significantly (p = 0.029)
from 1182 ± 723 to 643 ±
477 U/ml.
