Zinc, copper and magnesium concentration in serum and CSF of patients with neurological disorders

Abstract

Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 74 patients suffering from various neurological diseases, and in 28 healthy controls. Increased CSF zinc levels were found in the group of peripheral nervous system diseases (P less than 0.01) and in the cases of different neurological syndromes with increased CSF protein concentration (P less than 0.001). Increased CSF and serum copper levels were found in the cases with increased CSF protein levels (P less than 0.05). It is probable that the damaged blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permits the passage of the trace elements Zn, Cu and of Mg into the subarachnoid space. Decreased serum Cu levels (P less than 0.01) were found in the group of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings are correlated to those of previous communications.

Determinants of the copper concentration in cerebrospinal fluid

“…The investigation here also shows that, after determining the CSF copper concentration, the coeruloplasmin-bound fraction originating from the plasma should be subtracted according to the formula we have given, or better, all measured copper concentrations in the CSF should be adjusted using the CSF/serum albumin ratio and serum coeruloplasmin concentration. A statistical relation with a low correlation (p<0.05) between CSF protein content and CSF copper was already shown in 1989 in various neurological diseases3; our study shows a much higher significance and, in addition, the effect of serum coeruloplasmin (therefore of bound serum copper). Furthermore, we have been able to determine quantitatively the fraction of CSF copper which enters the CSF across the blood-CSF barrier.…”

Magnesium: Potential Roles in Neurovascular Disease

“…Brain penetration of Mg is thought to be enhanced by BBB dysfunction (20). However, patients with chronic neurological diseases with presumed mild BBB disruption do not have significant differences in CSF Mg concentrations compared to healthy controls (21). In addition, patients with acute neurological injury and induced intravenous hypermagnesemia were shown to produce only modest increases in CSF levels of total and ionized Mg (22).…”

Spatial Assessment of the Association between Long-Term Exposure to Environmental Factors and the Occurrence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Catalonia, Spain: A Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study

“…The association of risk to ALS and the exposure to manganese is inconsistent. In fact, only 2 studies found a significantly higher concentration of manganese in the cerebrospinal fluid of ALS patients compared to the controls [49-51]. Cicero et al [41] performed a systematic review of observational case-control studies that assessed the association between metals and neurodegenerative diseases.…”