Effect of anti-epileptic drugs on serum zinc and copper concentrations in epileptic patients

Serum concentrations for zinc and copper were determined in epileptic patients who had undergone one month of therapy with a mono-antiepileptic drug (mono-AED) (carbamazepine, CBZ; phenobarbital, PB; phenytoin, PHT; valproic acid, VPA). There were 114 epileptic patients and 30 healthy volunteers who participated in this study. Although zinc concentrations tended to decrease, there were significant increases in copper concentrations in patients who were treated with mono-AED) (CBZ, 32.9%; PB, 36.4%; PHT, 39.0%; VPA, 25.4%) when compared with healthy volunteers. There was no significant change in either zinc or copper concentrations among the four mono-AED groups. No dose-related changes could be observed either for zinc or copper concentrations. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that both zinc and copper concentrations in epileptic patients under chronic AED therapy differed somewhat from the control level, but remained within the normal range, indicating that there is no need to adjust serum concentrations of either of these trace elements in order to treat diseases related to them.