Associated thyrogastric autoimmunity increases the prevalence of low erythrocyte magnesium in type 1 diabetes

A group of 230 type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients were screened f or the presence of thyrogastric autoantibodies (aTPO and PCA) and magnesium depletion. Thirty-seven per cent presented with significant levels of 1 au toantibody and 7 per cent were positive for both. Exactly 25 per cent of th e subjects had low levels of erythrocyte Mg (RBC-Mg < 5.5 mg/dl). Female pa tients were more prone to lower RBC-Mg and had a significant higher prevale nce of aTPO and, although actually euthyroid, had a more pronounced history of thyroid disease. The presence of both antibodies was accompanied with t he highest prevalence of low RBC-Mg. However, PCA positivity with hypergast rinaemia alone did not show a significant increase of the Mg depletion. The mechanisms involved in this phenomenon remain unclear but besides gender, duration of diabetes and the metabolic consequences of the disease, the pre sence of associated thyroid and gastric dysfunction can play a supplementar y role in the maintenance of the chronic Mg problems in type 1 diabetes.