Hw. Devalk et al., EXTRACELLULAR AND INTRACELLULAR MAGNESIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS, The European respiratory journal, 6(8), 1993, pp. 1122-1125
Magnesium deficiency is associated with increased contractility of smo
oth muscle cells. Since contractility of bronchial smooth muscle is im
portant in patients with asthma, magnesium deficiency could negatively
influence the clinical condition. We wanted to assess whether magnesi
um deficiency exists in patients with asthma. Extracellular (plasma) a
nd intracellular (erythrocytes and mononuclear leucocytes) concentrati
ons of magnesium were determined in 20 mildly symptomatic patients wit
h asthma and compared to 20 healthy controls. In asthmatic patients, t
he mean+/-SD magnesium level in plasma was 0.81+/-0.05 mmol.l-1, in er
ythrocytes 0.20+/-0.02 fmol.cell-1, and in mononuclear leucocytes 5.10
+/-2.55 fmol.cell-1; these values did not differ significantly from th
ose of the healthy controls: 0.79+/-0.06 mmol.l-1, 0.19+/-0.02 fmol.ce
ll-1, and 4.61+/-1.75 fmol.cell-1, respectively. No evidence for the e
xistence of a magnesium deficit needing chronic magnesium supplementat
ion was, thus, found in these patients.