Evidence mapPaperPMID 40227249Full record

ReviewAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Selenium as an Antioxidant: Roles and Clinical Applications in Critically Ill and Trauma Patients: A Narrative Review.

Jae-Gil Lee, Ji-Young Jang, Seung-Min Baik

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Wound Healing Potential of Selenium and Nanoselenium.Biological trace element research · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. The response of glutathione oxidase and cytochromeBiochemistry and biophysics reports · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jae-Gil LeeDepartment of Surgery, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Seoul 07985, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-1148-8035
Ji-Young JangDepartment of Surgery, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang 10444, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Min BaikDepartment of Surgery, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Seoul 07985, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-1051-6775

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Selenium plays an indispensable role in antioxidant defense through its incorporation into selenoproteins, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and thioredoxin reductase. In the context of trauma and critical illness, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress frequently deplete selenium reserves, compromising the body's antioxidant defenses. This deficiency exacerbates immune dysfunction, elevates the risk of multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, and increases susceptibility to infections and mortality. Observational studies have consistently shown that lower selenium levels correlate with poorer clinical outcomes, such as extended stays in intensive care units and higher mortality rates. Supplementation of selenium has demonstrated promise in restoring GPx activity, reducing oxidative stress markers, and supporting recovery, particularly in patients with pre-existing selenium deficiency. While the impact on mortality remains variable across clinical trials, early and targeted supplementation appears to be beneficial, especially when combined with other micronutrients like vitamins C and E or zinc. These combinations enhance the antioxidant response and tackle the complex oxidative pathways in critically ill and trauma patients. Importantly, the clinical benefits of selenium supplementation appear to be influenced by baseline selenium status, with patients exhibiting severe deficiency deriving the most pronounced improvements in oxidative stress markers, immune function, and recovery. This review highlights the critical importance of addressing selenium deficiency, advocating for personalized therapeutic strategies. However, further large-scale studies are essential to optimize dosing regimens, refine combination therapies, and validate selenium's therapeutic potential in trauma and critical care settings.

Indexed as

antioxidantscritically illseleniumsupplementationtrauma

Identifiers

PMID40227249
PMCPMC11939285

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.