INTRACELLULAR MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF MONONUCLEAR BLOOD-CELLS AND GRANULOCYTES ISOLATED FROM LEUKEMIC, INFECTED, AND GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR-TREATED PATIENTS

The intracellular magnesium (Mg) concentration of granulocytes and mon onuclear blood cells (MBCs) was determined in cells isolated from pati ents with several disorders. The mean (+/-SD) Mg content of MBCs isola ted from patients diagnosed with lymphocytic leukemia, myelocytic leuk emia, or infection; from patients treated with granulocyte colony-stim ulating factor (G-CSF); and from healthy volunteers (control group) wa s 2.3 (+/-0.6), 3.3 (+/-0.5), 4.1 (+/-0.8), 3.9 (+/-0.4), and 3.9 (+/- 0.6) fmol/cell, respectively. The Mg content of MBCs isolated from pat ients with lymphocytic and myelocytic leukemia, but not those from pat ients with infection or receiving G-CSF treatment, were significantly lower (P <0.001) than those from the control subjects. The mean Mg con centration of granulocytes obtained from lymphocytic leukemia, myelocy tic leukemia, infection, and G-CSF patients and from the control group was 3.2 (+/-0.9), 3.4 (+/-0.5), 3.8 (+/-0.6), 4.5 (+/-0.6), and 4.6 ( +/-0.6) fmol/cell, respectively. Granulocytes isolated from leukemic a nd infectious patients yielded lower intracellular Mg concentrations ( P <0.005) than those from patients receiving G-CSF and the control gro up. This study demonstrates that intracellular Mg content is altered i n several pathological states. Several factors, including depleted Mg stores or altered intracellular Mg binding sites, could be responsible for these changes. Apparently, intracellular Mg content may be of use in assessing total body Mg status.