Selenium and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

A double-blind randomized controlled trial involving 50 SLE patients found that daily supplementation with 200 μg of selenium for 8 weeks significantly improved several metabolic markers and clinical manifestations. Specifically, selenium reduced serum high-sensitive reactive protein (CRP), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), with p-values ˂0.001 for most parameters. Clinical symptoms such as arthritis (p=0.012) and alopecia (p=0.011) also showed improvement. This suggests selenium supplementation could be beneficial for lupus patients.