Magnesium, Zinc and Copper Contents in Hair and Their Serum Concentrations in Patients with Epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: Although trace elements are found a little
amount in body they have obvious structural functional
importance and have an important role on a variety of
biological processes. Since the abnormal metabolism
of metal ions plays an important role in health and
disease conditions, studies about them have been
attracting great interest. The aim of our study was to
evaluate magnesium, zinc and copper contents in hair
and serum concentrations in patients with epilepsy.
Method: Twenty-seven patients (12 male, 15 female;
mean age 42,73 ± 16,23 years) with epilepsy and 29
age-matched healthy subjects (12 male, 17 female;
mean age 49,76 ± 13,11 years) were enrolled in this
study. We assessed Mg, Zn and Cu contents in hair
and their serum  levels  in all subjects with an atomic
absorption spectrophotometer. Results were
calculated in ppm for hair and in µg/ml for serum. For
comparison of means, Student’s t test was used.
Results: The mean values of trace element
concentrations of hair in patients   were significantly
reduced compared with the controls (mean magnesium
concentration in patients, 111,33 ± 37,33 vs. control,
133.57 ± 22.91 [p<0.01], mean zinc concentration in
patients, 121,40 ± 45,40 vs. control, 176.96 ± 43.10
[p<0.001], mean copper concentration in patients, 42,74
± 20,36 vs. control, 60.22 ± 22.32 [p<0.05]). Although
the serum levels of magnesium and zinc are lower in
patients with epilepsy than the levels in controls, these
differences were not found to be significant  (mean
magnesium level in patients, 19,4 ± 2,7 vs. control, 23,3
± 12,3 [p>0.05], mean zinc level in patients, 1,54 ± 0,79
vs. control, 1,86 ± 0,83 [p>0.05]). Furthermore, lower
magnesium levels in patients with epilepsy were
closely related to pharmacoresistant epilepsy.
Conclusion:  These data indicate that concentrations
of Mg, Zn and Cu are altered trace element
concentrations become change in patients with
epilepsy during interictal periods and these changes
may be important, especially low magnesium levels,
in anticonvulsant drugs designed for the clinical
problem of pharmacoresistant epilepsy.
 Key words: Epilepsy, hair, serum, trace element

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