Selenium supplementation decreases CRP and IL-6 and increases TNF-alpha: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #c-reactive-protein #interleukin-6 #tumor-necrosis-factor-alpha #selenium

Selenium supplementation decreases CRP and IL-6 and increases TNF-alpha: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Gholizadeh et al., 2023 | J Trace Elem Med Biol | Meta Analysis

Citation

Gholizadeh Mohammad, Khalili Atefeh, ... Djafarian Kurosh. Selenium supplementation decreases CRP and IL-6 and increases TNF-alpha: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2023-Sep;79:127199. doi:10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127199

Abstract

Inflammation is an initiating cause of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Studies have shown that selenium (Se) has anti-inflammatory effects. However, its' effects on serum c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plasma concentrations are equivocal. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), evaluating the effects of per oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) Se supplementation on CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6. A systematic search was conducted using four databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Scopus to find randomized clinical trials, published up to April 2023. From 19476 papers, after screening and removing duplicate articles, 24 studies were analyzed in the present meta-analysis. In the pooled analysis, PO Se administration showed no significant effect on CRP (WMD: 0.12; 95 % CI -0.11, 0.38; P-value= 0.30). However, IV Se supplementation had a significant negative association with CRP concentration (-2.24; 95 % CI: -4.24, -0.24; p-value: 0.02). Se administration had no significant association with TNF-α plasma concentration (9.64, 95 % CI: -0.59, 19.88, p-value= 0.06; and heterogeneity: 98 %). However, a significant positive association was present between Se and plasma TNF-α concentrations (0.15, 95 % CI: 0.14, 0.17, P-value<0.0001). Moreover, Se supplementation had a significant negative correlation with IL-6 plasma concentration in PO (-0.54; 95 % CI: -1.61, 0.52; P-value = 0.31) and IV administrations (-4.77; 95 % CI: -7.61, -1.93; P-value<0.0001), respectively. This study demonstrated that IV Se administration reduced CRP and IL-6 plasma concentrations. Conversely, IV Se supplementation increased TNF-α plasma concentration. It is evident that further, well-controlled clinical trials are required.

Key Findings

It is evident that further, well-controlled clinical trials are required.

Outcomes Measured

  • C-reactive protein
  • inflammatory markers

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 24
Age Range See abstract
Condition inflammation

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Interleukin-6
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Selenium
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Inflammation
  • Biomarkers

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: selenium

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09