SERUM TRACE-ELEMENTS, GLUTATHIONE, COPPER ZINC SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE, AND LIPID-PEROXIDATION IN EPILEPTIC PATIENTS WITH PHENYTOIN OR CARBAMAZEPINE MONOTHERAPY/

Disturbance of metabolism of trace elements and antioxidants are inves tigated in epileptic patients with long-term therapy of anticonvulsant s. One hundred and fifteen subjects including healthy controls, untrea ted epileptic patients, and phenytoin (PHT)- or carbamazepine (CBZ)-tr eated epileptic patients were recruited in this study. Serum malondial dehyde was measured as an index of extracellular lipid peroxidation. T he levels of serum copper (S-Cu), serum zinc, copper/zinc superoxide d ismutase (CuZn-SOD), and reduced glutathione in the serum were monitor ed simultaneously. The results showed that malondialdehyde, S-Cu, and CuZn-SOD levels in the serum all were significantly increased, but the glutathione level was significantly decreased, in all the epileptic p atients with PHT monotherapy compared with those of the controls. Howe ver, no significant differences of these parameters in the epileptic p atients with CBZ monotherapy were found except for a mild elevation of the activity of serum CuZn-SOD. We conclude that compared with PHT mo notherapy, the CBZ monotherapy induced less disturbance in trace eleme nt metabolism, antioxidants, and lipid peroxidation in the serum of ep ileptic patients.