Selenium and Antioxidant Factors in Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic pathology of the intestine which develops in sporadic stages of inflammation and affects 60.000 persons in France. The cause of this disease has yet to be ascertained and is probably multifactorious: oxidative stress related to the inflammatory process might be one of the involved factors (1). In fact, several studies have shown a lowering of some factors of antioxidant status such as glutathione peroxydase (GSHPx) and selenium (Se) (2), which is an essential part of the enzyme active site as selenocystein. The aim of the present study was to determine the potential defence against free radicals in patients with Crohn’s disease. We have evaluated the activity of major antioxidant enzymes, Superoxide dismutase (CU-Zn-SOD), GSHPx and its cofactor Se and three compounds with a biological antioxidant role, retinol, total carotene, and α-tocopherol. In addition, inflammatory and nutritional markers were determined. The results of patients with Crohn’s disease were compared with those of colopathic subjects. These later were considered as a control group since they have only functional colonic disorders with a normal coloscopy.