COMPARATIVE FINDINGS ON SERUM IMG2-SUBJECTS WITH THE NOVA AND KONE ISES FOR MG2+( OF NORMAL AND DISEASED HUMAN)

It is clear now that although different ionophores for ionized Mg (IMg 2+) have been designed by several groups, each df these has a distinct ly different K-MgCa. In view of this, it is important to determine whe ther each of these ion selective electrodes (ISE's) yield identical re sults for IMg2+ in sera from healthy and diseased humans. Using such a n approach, we determined, in a blinded-and random manner, IMg2+ with both the NOVA and KONE ISE's for IMg2+ in two independent laboratories . No significant differences were found either for sera from healthy h uman volunteers or diseased patients. We did, however, note several in teresting findings: 1. randomly, selected hospitalized patients exhibi t a much higher incidence of abnormalities for IMg2+ (57-71%) than tha t noted previously for total Mg (TMg) measurements; and 2. coronary he art disease, rectal cancer and multiple sclerosis patients exhibit ext racellular deficits in ionized free Mg.