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Hyperzincemia in anencephaly and spina bifida

A clue to the pathogenesis of neural tube defects?

From the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT.

Zinc is essential for normal embryogenesis and may have particular importance for closure of the human neural tube. Compared to 258 controls, we found increased zinc content in umbilical cord serum in eight of nine newborn anencephalics (p < 0.02) and three infants with spina bifida (p < 0.001). Increased zinc levels were bound to serum albumin or alpha-2-macroglobulin (₂M) in infants with neural tube defects (NTD). In NTD-mothers, total serum zinc was similar to controls, but there was a shift in the distribution of zinc from M to albumin. Fetal hyperzincemia and elevated maternal albumin-bound zinc suggest that the NTD-fetus receives but does not use zinc normally.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Zimmerman. East Tennessee Children's Hospital. '018 ('linch Avenue. Knoxville, TN 37916.

Supported by the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation. Inc.

Presented in part at the 39th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 30, 1982, Washington, DC.

Accepted for publication July 11, 1983.