Selenium is a trace element of both nutritional and toxicological interest, depending on its dose and chemical form. Diet is the primary source of exposure for most individuals. We sought to investigate the influence of food intake on serum levels of selenium species.

Among fifty subjects randomly selected from a Northern Italian population, we assessed dietary habits using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. We also measured circulating levels of selenium species in serum using high pressure liquid chromatography associated with inductively-coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometer.

Circulating levels of inorganic selenium, the most toxic selenium species, were positively associated with intake of fish, legumes and dry fruits, and inversely associated with intake of dairy products and mushrooms. Concerning the organic selenium species, selenoproteinP-bound selenium was inversely associated with intake of fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes, while selenocysteine-bound selenium positively associated with intake of fresh fruit, potato, legume and mushroom. In the present study, intakes of different foods were correlated with different types of selenium species. These results have important public health implications when assessing the nutritional and toxicological potential of diet composition with reference to selenium exposure.

硒是具有营养和毒理学意义的微量元素，具体取决于其剂量和化学形式。饮食是大多数人暴露的主要来源。我们试图调查食物摄入量对硒物种血清水平的影响。

在从意大利北部人口中随机选择的五十名受试者中，我们使用经过验证的半定量食物频率问卷评估了饮食习惯。我们还使用与电感耦合等离子体动态反应池质谱仪关联的高压液相色谱法测量了血清中硒物种的循环水平。

无机硒（毒性最高的硒种类）的循环水平与鱼类，豆类和干果的摄入量呈正相关，与乳制品和蘑菇的摄入量呈负相关。关于有机硒种类，与硒蛋白P结合的硒与鱼类，新鲜水果，蔬菜和豆类的摄入量呈负相关，而与硒代半胱氨酸结合的硒与新鲜水果，马铃薯，豆类和蘑菇的摄入量呈正相关。在本研究中，不同食物的摄入量与不同类型的硒种类相关。当评估硒暴露对饮食组成的营养和毒理学潜力时，这些结果具有重要的公共卫生意义。