Association of reduced selenium status in the aetiology of recurrent miscarriage.

Abstract

To determine whether recurrent miscarriage is associated with reduced selenium status. Case-control study. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital. Twenty nonpregnant women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage, and 47 nonpregnant parous women with a history of at least one successful pregnancy and no more than one miscarriage. A 7 mL blood sample from each woman was collected into lithium heparin 'vacutainer' tubes. Samples were centrifuged at 3000 g for 15 minutes, and plasma was extracted and stored at -20 degrees C. Selenium concentrations were measured using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The selenium concentrations in the two groups were compared and the differences examined using the Student's t test. Plasma selenium concentration (microg/L). The mean selenium concentration for women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage was 67.7 microg/L (SD 16.4). The selenium level for the women with no history of recurrent miscarriage was 70.3 microg/L (SD 12.7). There was no difference in selenium concentrations between the two groups (P = 0.53). In this study there is no association between unexplained recurrent miscarriage and reduced selenium status, implying that reduced selenium status is not a factor in the pathogenesis of recurrent miscarriage. We can find no rationale for a trial of selenium therapy in women with a history of recurrent miscarriage.