SERUM AND HAIR ZINC LEVELS IN EPILEPTIC CHILDREN TAKING VALPROIC ACID

This study was performed to investigate the serum and hair zinc levels in patients having epilepsy diagnoses who were intended to be put on valproic acid (VA) monotherapy and had never ingested antiepileptics b efore. A total of 16 patients having normal growth, development, and n utrition was selected as Group 1, and Group 2 was made up of 10 patien ts who had received VA monotherapy for 2 yrs or more and had normal gr owth, development, and nutrition characteristics. A control group (Gro up 3) was formed of 15 subjects who applied to the hospital for upper respiratory tract disorders. Serum and hair samples were taken for zin c assays from the Group 1 patients on the d 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 180. Groups 2 and 3 were sampled only once, and zinc levels were dete rmined. We found that both serum and hair zinc levels in Group 1 were higher than those of Group 2 and control group before the beginning of VA therapy, but they returned to normal during VA treatment. There wa s no zinc deficiency, and zinc replacement treatment may therefore be considered as unnecessary.