{"id":1350,"date":"2019-07-15T10:54:46","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T10:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seleniumfacts.com\/?p=1350"},"modified":"2019-07-19T20:11:31","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T20:11:31","slug":"selenium-supplementation-hiv-infections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seleniumfacts.com\/index.php\/selenium-supplementation-hiv-infections","title":{"rendered":"Selenium Supplementation and HIV Infections"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Selenium supplementation of HIV-infected patients can slow the progression of the virus, improve CD4 cell counts, and reduce the risk of mortality. The form and the dosage of the selenium supplementation needs to be researched further. At present, supplementation with 200 micrograms of high-selenium yeast daily seems most promising, but the dosage will vary according to regional variation in the selenium content in the soil and food.
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Humans with low blood selenium concentrations are more likely to have impaired immune function and rapid mutation of benign variants of RNA viruses to virulent forms.\u00a0 Low blood selenium concentrations are concentrations less than 1 micromol of selenium per liter of blood = less than 78 micrograms of selenium per liter of blood [Harthill].<\/strong><\/p>\n

If a virus-infected, selenium-deficient human host is supplemented with selenium<\/em><\/a>, the mutation rate of the virus tends to decrease, and the immune function tends to improve [Harthill].
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\n Thus, the selenium status of the human host can have a profound effect on the development of a virus infection<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em> In cases of selenium deficiency, a normally non-virulent virus can become virulent.\u00a0 A virus can become pathogenic by replicating in a nutritionally deficient human host [Beck].<\/strong><\/p>\n

Selenium Deficiency and HIV Disease Progression<\/h3>\n

In HIV-infected patients, deficiencies of various micronutrients, including selenium deficiency, have been associated with an increased risk of the HIV disease progression and with increased mortality.<\/p>\n

Supplementation with micronutrients, again including selenium, has been associated with delayed HIV disease progression and reduced mortality<\/em><\/strong><\/a> in HIV-positive patients who were not receiving antiretroviral therapy [Drain; Stone].<\/p>\n

Selenium Supplementation and Antiretroviral Therapy<\/h3>\n

Antiretroviral therapy consists of the daily taking of a combination of HIV medicines that do not cure the virus but do prevent its growth.\u00a0 The purpose of the antiretroviral therapy is the reduction of the concentration of the HIV virus in the blood to undetectable levels.<\/p>\n

Patients on antiretroviral therapy who attain undetectable viral loads can live longer and healthier lives and can have practically no risk of transmitting the virus to a sex partner.<\/p>\n

An important question to be decided is whether selenium supplementation can be a useful adjunctive treatment for patients on antiretroviral therapy. After all, adequate concentrations of selenium are needed for the formation of the antioxidant selenoproteins, the glutathione peroxidases and the thioredoxine reductases, that are associated with reduced oxidative stress<\/em><\/strong><\/a> [Stone].<\/p>\n

Specifically, it is thought that the selenoproteins\u2019 antioxidant activity may disrupt viral replication in HIV-infected immune cells<\/em><\/strong><\/a> [Baum].<\/p>\n

Randomized Controlled Trials of Selenium Supplementation and HIV Infection<\/h3>\n

Burbano Study 2002<\/h4>\n

Daily supplementation of 186 HIV-positive adults with 200 micrograms of selenium or placebo for two years showed significant selenium-associated reductions in total hospital admission rates<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, in the percentage of hospitalizations due to infection, and in the cost of patient care.<\/p>\n

Hurwitz Study 2007<\/h4>\n

Daily supplementation of 174 HIV-positive individuals with 200 micrograms of high-selenium yeast<\/em><\/strong> or placebo for nine months showed that the selenium supplementation can suppress the progression of the HIV viral load and improve the CD4 lymphocyte T-cell count<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kupka Study 2008<\/h4>\n

Daily supplementation of 913 HIV-positive pregnant women from enrollment between week 12 and week 27 of gestation until six months following birth with 200 micrograms of selenomethionine<\/em><\/strong><\/a> or placebo did not have an effect on the mothers\u2019 HIV viral load or CD4 leukocyte counts but did significantly decrease the risk of acute or persistent diarrhea and did significantly reduce the risk of mortality after six weeks for the infants of the mothers supplemented with selenium.<\/p>\n

Baum Study 2013<\/h4>\n

In this four-armed clinical trial, 878 HIV-positive adults not yet on antiretroviral therapy were randomly assigned to one of four daily treatment modalities for 24 months:<\/p>\n