Serum and cerebrospinal fluid zinc levels in children with febrile convulsions

The mechanisms underlying febrile convulsions (FC), which have multiple etiological factors, are not yet clear. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there were any changes in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) zinc (Zn) levels in children with febrile convulsion during seizures. A total of 102 children were included in the study, with four groups formed as follows: group A, 40 children with FC (aged 9 months to 5 years); group B, 20 children having fever without convulsion (aged 6 months to 5 years); group C, 20 children with afebrile convulsion (aged 6 months to 6 years) and group D, 22 healthy children (aged 5 months to 6 years). Serum and CSF zinc levels for groups A, B and C and serum Zn levels only for group D were measured. The serum Zn levels of 17 children in group A were again measured during healthy periods. Serum Zn levels of groups A, B, C and D had a mean of 0.70 +/- 0.10 mg/dL, 1.07 +/- 0.08 mg/dL, 1.26 +/- 0.32 mg/dL and 1.17 +/- 0.21 mg/dL, respectively, and the values of group A were lower than those of the other three groups (P < 0.001). In group B, serum Zn levels were also lower than those of groups C and D (P < 0.05). The CSF Zn levels of groups A, B and C were found to have a mean of 0.07 +/- 0.02 mg/L, 0.12 +/- 0.02 mg/L and 0.14 +/- 0.04 mg/L, respectively. In group A, the CSF Zn levels were lower than those of groups B and C (P < 0.001), and in group B they were lower than those of group C (P < 0.05). For the 17 patients in group A, serum Zn levels during healthy periods (0.87 +/- 0.10 mg/dL) were found to be higher than the values shortly after seizures, but lower than those of groups B, C and D (P < 0.001). We could not observe any relationship between zinc levels of the serum and CSF and the degree and duration of the fever. These findings suggest that serum and CSF Zn levels decreased during infectious diseases, and that this decrease was more significant in patients with FC.