The Serum Selenium Level in Korean Men and Its Association with Age and Prostate Cancer / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: It has been suggested that selenium is protective against prostate cancer. We examined serum level of selenium in Korean men and we investigated the association of the serum selenium level with age and prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 390 Korean men (112 cases that were pathologically diagnosed as prostate cancer and 278 controls with normal digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level less than 4.0ng/ml). The serum selenium concentration was compared between the prostate cancer patients and the control group, and the association with the age range and cancer stage was investigated. RESULTS: The mean serum selenium level of the prostate cancer patients was 110.2ng/ml and mean serum selenium level of control group was 116.8ng/ml. The selenium level of the prostate cancer patients was lower than that of the control group, but there was no significant difference (p= 0.250). There was no association between the selenium level and age (fifth decade 116.5ng/ml, sixth decade 113.9ng/ml, seventh decade 118.5ng/ ml, eighth decade 111.4ng/ml, p=0.589). In addition, selenium concentration was not associated with stage of prostate cancer (localized 102.8ng/ ml, locally advanced 118.0ng/ml, metastatic 109.0ng/ml, p=0.578). CONCLUSIONS: The mean serum selenium level of Korean men is lower than that of western men (126-136ng/ml). This result may be associated with the lower selenium content in Korean soil and food. There was no consistent change in the serum selenium level according to age. The association between the serum selenium and the risk of prostate cancer needs further investigation.