INTRACELLULAR (POLYMORPHONUCLEAR) MAGNESIUM CONTENT IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA BETWEEN ATTACKS

Previous studies have demonstrated the role of polymorphonuclears in a sthma, the importance of increases in intracellular concentrations of ionized calcium in the release of chemical mediators, the role of magn esium as natural calcium channel blocker, and the importance of magnes ium deficiency in plasma histamine concentration and in tissue prostan oid concentration. The objective of our study was to measure the polym orphonuclear magnesium content in patients with asthma in the interval between attacks. We measured the polymorphonuclear magnesium content, and serum and erythrocyte sodium, calcium, and magnesium concentratio ns in 21 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with different types of as thma. In our patients, the polymorphonuclear magnesium content was low er than in the control group (P<0.001), while magnesium levels in eryt hrocytes and serum and the levels of other ions in erythrocytes and se rum were normal. This is the first report to document low polymorphonu clear magnesium content in patients with bronchial asthma. The reducti on of polymorphonuclear magnesium content may have an important role i n the pathogenesis of asthma.