A Functional Biological Marker is Needed for Diagnosing Magnesium Deficiency

Abstract

Functional biological markers or biomarkers are now available for many nutrients which are used as nutritional status markers. Most sources of these biomarkers are products or precursors of enzymatic processes that can be measured in serum and plasma. At this time measurements of total or ionized magnesium (Mg) in serum, plasma, cellular components, urine or Mg retention from a load test are performed, but they may not always reflect Mg nutritional status. Biomarkers for Mg are needed which would reflect changes in biochemical processes where Mg is involved. Biomarkers for Mg need to be identified and evaluated in both animals and humans, with a determination of possible factors that may affect the reaction and biomarker concentrations. Some possible biomarkers for Mg include the following: Na/K ATPase, thromboxane B2, C-reactive protein, and endothelin-1. Other possible biomarkers for Mg need to be identified.

Magnesium Sulfate Increases Intracellular Magnesium Reducing Inflammatory Cytokine Release in Neonates

“…The mean dietary Mg 2+ intake within pregnancy is approximately 35–38% of the recommended dietary allowance, and most fetal Mg 2+ accumulation occurs after 28 weeks of gestation, raising the possibility that both parturients and neonates are Mg 2+ deficient. Clinical Mg 2+ status assessment is limited to extracellular levels; however, intracellular Mg 2+ , which is not measured clinically and does not correlate with extracellular Mg 2+ levels, is the biologically relevant form, and multiple studies demonstrate that extracellular levels do not correlate with intracellular Mg 2+ , particularly under deficiency conditions . Thus, our results suggest subclinical Mg 2+ deficiency in newborns; however, an assay capable of measuring intracellular magnesium status ex vivo is needed for confirmation.…”

Magnesium Decreases Inflammatory Cytokine Production: A Novel Innate Immunomodulatory Mechanism

“…However, >90% of total body magnesium is intracellular, compartmentalized within organelles, bound to protein, or complexed to ATP (43). Extracellular ionized magnesium is readily measurable, but intracellular magnesium, which is not measured clinically and does not correlate with extracellular magnesium levels (44), is the biologically relevant form. This limitation in our ability to accurately evaluate magnesium status has been a critical barrier to progress in understanding the prevalence and impact of magnesium deficiency.…”

Redução da densidade de extrassístoles e dos sintomas relacionados após administração de magnésio por via oral

“…Less than 1% of total body Mg is present in blood 9 and only 0.3% in serum 11,12 , so serum levels do not reflect the total body stores 27,28 . This may be one explanation for the improvement of arrhythmia with the replacement of Mg compared to the placebo group, even without changes in serum levels of this ion.…”