Background and Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease. The concentrations of selenium (Se) may play a role in the pathogenesis of some human diseases, including the severity of IBD and the risk of colon cancer. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum Se concentrations and UC flare-ups.

Material and Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study of 56 UC patients (29 with remission phases and 29 with flare-up) and 29 healthy volunteers at Ahvaz Imam Hospital in 2019. Blood samples from patients and healthy volunteers were collected for the determination of serum Se concentrations using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Results: The serum concentration of Se was 109.91 g/mL among control group, 112.40 g/mL during UC remission, and 98.40 g/mL in the flare-up groups, respectively. UC patients with flare-up disease had significantly lower serum Se concentrations in comparison with controls (P=0.0001) and patients in remission (P=0.0001). There was no significant difference between patients in remission and controls in terms of serum Se concentrations (P=0.338).

Conclusion: UC flare-up patients have lower serum Se concentrations in comparison with UC patients during remission and control groups. Further studies are necessary to determine whether nutritional supplementation may improve the clinical course of UC.