title: Study on serum zinc and selenium levels in epileptic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate serum zinc and selenium levels in a group of healthy subjects and correlate these with epileptic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was conducted in the Department of Neurology, Valiasr Hospital, Iran, between November 2011 and May 2012 on 40 patients aged 26.63+/-5.78 years who were diagnosed with generalized and a single epileptic form of epilepsy by a neurologist for the first time. The control group was selected from healthy individuals, and matched to the case group. Serum zinc was measured by the calorimetric method using a Randox kit. Selenium was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean zinc level was 151.2+/-29.75 ug/dl in the cases, and 181.63+/-60.19 ug/dl in the controls (p=0.006). The mean selenium level was 73.37+/-13.31 ug/l in cases compared with 85.55+/-19.39 ug/dl in controls (p=0.002). We also found a significant difference between the selenium levels by gender in the 2 groups (p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed statistically significant changes in serum zinc and selenium levels of epileptic adult patients in comparison with the control group. As zinc and selenium are used as potent antioxidants in cellular interactions, changes in their serum values may result in enzymatic changes, which in turn can cause neurological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Basij Square, Sardasht, Arak 381817167, Central Province, Islamic Republic of Iran. dr.farahanih@arakmu.ac.ir
authors.forename: Heidar N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Farahani
authors.forename: Alireza R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ashthiani
authors.forename: Mher S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Masihi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc