Comparative Study of Selenium and Zinc Antioxidant in HIV Sero Positive Individuals

Abstract

Antioxidant like Selenium and Zinc trace elements are usually reduced in HIV/AIDS patients but the difference in deficiency between the two trace element is not known. This study was carried out to determine Selenium and Zinc trace element in HIV positive individuals. Serum Selenium, Zinc, albumin and total protein concentration of twenty five HIV positive individuals were compared with twenty five HIV negative individuals. Atomic absorption spectrophotometric method was used to determine concentration of Selenium and Zinc while Bromocresol green method and Biuret method were used to determine albumin and total protein respectively. The result showed that mean ± standard deviation for Selenium was 31.76 ± 1.13 mg/L, zinc was 0.46 ± 0.10mg/L, albumin 33.18 ± 12.61g/L and total protein 31.35 ± 9.05g/L in HIV positive individuals while the control includes selenium 75.15 ± 1.93 mg/L, zinc 1.56 ± 1.46 mg/L, albumin 39.68 ± 13.2g/L and total protein61.22 ± 26.85g/L respectively. This study showedthat HIV positive individuals exhibit greater deficiency in zinc than in Selenium (p < 0.05). This difference can be attributed to compensatory antioxidant response to HIV by Selenium in well nourished HIV subjects.