Zinc status and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in handicapped children treated with anticonvulsants.

Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity and hair zinc contents were investigated in 68 children treated with anticonvulsants and 14 untreated children, and serum zinc contents were also measured in 21 of the treated and 13 of the untreated children. Serum zinc levels in the treated and untreated children were 82.7 +/- 7.1 and 85.1 +/- 18.2 micrograms/dl, respectively. Hair zinc levels in the treated and untreated children were 145.4 +/- 27.0 and 144.3 +/- 20.1 micrograms/g, respectively. These two parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. However, a significantly depressed skin reaction and a higher incidence of hypozincnemia (below 70 micrograms/dl) were found in the treated children (p less than 0.05). The results indicated that phenytoin-induced zinc deficiency might be one of the possible factors or exacerbatory factors in suppressed cellular immunity found with anticonvulsant therapy.