Objective: Since zinc-chelating action of levodopa has been reported in the past, we measured serum zinc level in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at our hospital and investigated the relationship with levodopa administration period, dosage and symptoms of zinc deficiency.

Background: Long term intake of drugs which have the potential to chelate zinc may cause zinc deficiency. After levodopa binds to internal zinc, the compound is excreted in urine over time, and this process can lead to a zinc deficiency. Recently, a taste disorder due to zinc deficiency in elderly people has been observed. We postulated the possibility that zinc deficiency in PD patients are related to drugs such as levodopa.

Method: We measured serum zinc levels in PD patients (n = 26, M / F = 11/15, mean age 68.8 ± 8.1 years old). The analysis was made using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient on the correlation between serum zinc levels and the oral administration period of levodopa, dosage, dosing frequency, zinc deficiency symptoms such as taste disorders and gonadal dysfunction in each case.

Results: The averaged serum zinc level of the whole group was 67.5 ± 11.9 μg / dl. The mean administration period of the levodopa was 8.7 ± 5.9 years, the administration frequency was 3.1 ± 0.8 times / day, the administration dose was 386.2 ± 273.6 mg / day, and a negative correlation was found between the zinc level and levodopa administration dosage (rs = – 0.567, p <0.05), period (rs = - 0.439, p <0.05), and dosing frequency (rs = - 0.587, p <0.05).

Conclusion: It is considered that levodopa dosage, long term administration, and frequent administration can affect serum zinc levels, and prevention of zinc deficiency can be a future focus of attention in PD treatment.

References: Qureshi G. A., Qureshi A. A., Memon S. A., & Parvez S. H. (2006). Impact of selenium, iron, copper and zinc in on/off Parkinson’s patients on L-dopa therapy. Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementum, 71, 229–236. Tomita H., & Yoshikawa T. (2002). Drug-related taste disturbances. Acta Oto-Laryngologica. Supplement, 122, 116–121. Veldkamp K. L., Tubergen P. J., Swartz M. A., DeVries J. T., & Tatko C. D. (2017). Zinc binding with L-dopa peptides. Inorganica Chimica Acta, 461, 120–126. Matsuyama H, Matsuura K, Ishikawa H, Hirata Y, Kato N, Niwa A, Narita Y, & Tomimoto H. (2018). Proposition of zinc supplementation during levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel treatment. Brain and Behavior, 12, e01143.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/study-on-the-effect-of-levodopa-administration-on-serum-zinc-levels-in-parkinsons-disease-patients/