Serum selenium in children during anti-cancer chemotherapy.

Serum selenium concentration as an indicator of selenium status was studied during a 6-month period in 24 children with acute leukaemia or solid tumours. At diagnosis low serum selenium values were found in children with acute leukaemia compared to children with solid tumours (P = 0.001), while there were no differences in the protein nutritional status of these children as assessed by serum albumin and prealbumin. During the corticosteroid treatment serum selenium levels increased (mean of 111 per cent) in children with acute leukaemia. The concentrations of serum selenium remained within the reference range of healthy Finnish children from week 16 onwards in children with acute leukaemia and throughout the study period of 24 weeks in children with solid tumours. The results suggest redistribution of the endogenous selenium stores since no selenium supplementation was used, and demonstrate that serum selenium is not a valid indicator of selenium status in these cases.