Serum selenium lipids abnormalities in cirrhotic patients with and without ischemic heart disease

ABSTRACT

Although the cirrhotic patients are less prone to develop ischemic heart disease [IHD], this study was done to investigate why some and rare cirrhotic patients develop this cardiac disease. Forty male cirrhotic patients of Child's B and C grading were selected twenty of them had only liver cirrhosis [group I] and the other twenty had also IHD [group II]. Liver function tests, serum lipid parameters and serum selenium were done for all subjects. ECG, echo - Doppler study and serum enzymes as CPK and LDH were done additional for patients of group II.Contrary to control, the cirrhotic patients showed highly significant reduction in serum selenium and HDL levels [P<0.01]. They also showed highly significant increases in total lipid, total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels in the serum [P<0.01]. Contrary to the results of group I, serum results of group II showed significant reduction in selenium level, highly significant reduction in HDL and highly Significant increases in total lipids, total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels.In both groups, serum selenium reduction was significant directly correlated with serum albumin level and was highly significant directly correlated with HDL level. However, it was highly significant inversely correlated with serum levels of total lipids, total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride.It can be concluded that the cirrhotic patients had highly significant reduction in serum selenium and cardioprotective lipoprotein [HDL] levels. Also, they developed highly significant increases in the levels of atherogenesis-induced parameters as total lipids, total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride. Thus, the highly significant hyperlipidaemia and atherogenesis in patients of group II may be attributed to more significant reduction in their serum selenium