Premium
Toenail selenium and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma mortality in Haimen City, China
Author(s) -
Sakoda Lori C.,
Graubard Barry I.,
Evans Alison A.,
London W. Thomas,
Lin WenYao,
Shen FuMin,
McGlynn Katherine A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.20937
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , medicine , quartile , odds ratio , selenium , confidence interval , liver cancer , case control study , gastroenterology , physiology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral with known anticarcinogenic properties in humans. However, few studies have examined the association between Se nutrient status and risk of liver cancer. We conducted a nested case‐control study comparing the Se content in toenail clippings of 166 individuals (154 men, 12 women) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to 394 healthy controls (360 men, 34 women) in Haimen City, China, where HCC is a leading cause of mortality. Toenail Se concentration was measured by inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy. Median toenail Se was lower for HCC cases than controls ( p = 0.03). Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for HCC mortality by increasing quartile of toenail Se were 1.00 (reference), 0.58 (0.32–1.03), 0.83 (0.48–1.42) and 0.50 (0.28–0.90), with a marginally significant trend in risk observed ( p for trend = 0.06). This inverse association appeared stronger among those who did not consume alcohol and among women. Future studies are needed to examine the interrelationship between Se, viral hepatitis infection and HCC in order to better understand the etiologic mechanisms involved and evaluate the true chemopreventive potential of Se compounds for liver diseases. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.