Title:Selenium: A Trace Element for a Healthy Skeleton - A Narrative Review
Volume: 21
Issue: 4
Author(s): Fabio Vescini, Iacopo Chiodini, Andrea Palermo, Roberto Cesareo, Vincenzo De Geronimo, Alfredo Scillitani, Luigi Gennari and Alberto Falchetti*
Affiliation:
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit for Bone Metabolism Diseases and Diabetes & Lab of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Milan,Italy
Keywords:
Selenium, bone metabolism, bone turnover, osteoclasts, anti-oxidation activity, inflammation.
Abstract: Inadequate serum selenium levels may delay the growth and physiological changes in bone
metabolism. In humans, reduced serum selenium concentrations are associated with both increased
bone turnover and reduced bone mineral density. Moreover, a reduced nutritional intake of selenium
may lead to an increased risk of bone disease. Therefore, selenium is an essential nutrient playing a
role in bone health, probably due to specific selenium-proteins. Some selenium-proteins have an antioxidation
enzymatic activity and participate in maintaining the redox cellular balance, regulating inflammation
and proliferation/differentiation of bone cells too. At least nine selenium-proteins are
known to be expressed by fetal osteoblasts and appear to protect bone cells from oxidative stress at
bone microenvironment. Mutations of selenium-proteins and reduced circulating levels of selenium are
known to be associated with skeletal diseases such as the Kashin-Beck osteoarthropathy and postmenopausal
osteoporosis. In addition, the intake of selenium appears to be inversely related to the risk
of hip fragility fractures. Recent data suggest that an altered selenium state may affect bone mass even
in males and selenium-proteins and selenium concentrations were positively associated with the bone
mass at femoral, total and trochanteric sites. However, selenium, but not selenium-proteins, seems to
be associated with femoral neck bone mass after adjustment for many bone fracture risk factors. The
present review summarizes the findings of observational and interventional studies, which have been
designed for investigating the relationship between selenium and bone metabolism.