Fluorescence Method for Selenium Determination in the Blood Plasma of Bronchial Asthma, Hepatitis C Virus, HCV/HIV Co-Infection Diseases and Post-Chernobyl Syndrome Patients

The essential mineral, selenium (Se), is of fundamental importance to human health. As a constituent of selenoproteins (SeP), Se has structural and enzymatical roles, in the latter context being best-know as an antioxidant (AO) and catalyst for the production of active thyroid hormone (TH). Se is necessary for the proper functioning of the immune system, and appears to be a key nutrient in counteracting in the development of virulence and inhibiting viruses HIV and HCV progression. For Se determination authors used G. Alfthan fluorimetric method. Results showed that patients of bronchial asthma (BA), HCV, HCV/HIV co-infection and half of Chernobyl clean-up workers (CW) to suffer from selenium deficiency.