Magnesium, zinc and copper contents in hair and their serum concentrations in patients with epilepsy

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.