Magnesium metabolism in leprosy.

Although there is considerable evidence of the importance of magnesium in disease conditions, studies of magnesium metabolism in patients with leprosy have not been reported. Observations made in the clinical laboratory of this hospital are reported here. The literature is sparse regarding the metabolism of magnesium in man. Studies by Martin et al. (5) indicate that magnesium-free urine does not occur, but that there may be deficits due to continued urinary loss in the absence of a minimal magnesium intake. Accelerated loss of magnesium in the urine may occur under certain circumstances, such as diuretic therapy. A low serum magnesium may also be due to a decreased gastrointestinal absorption, or an increased intracellular shift of magnesium ions. Magnesium is a component of soft ti~sue, and is one of the cations of intracellular fluid and of extracellular fluids including'serum. It is also a component of certain organic complexes, notably those containing members of the B group of vitamins. It appears to catalyze certain enzyme reactions, as phosphatase (7). Magnesium also, apparently, plays an important role in protein and carbohydrate metabolism, bone formation, and neuromuscular conduction (6). In chronic renal disease, low, normal or high magnesium levels have been reported, and in the acute type the serum magnesium level has risen above normal (4,5). Magnesium is in an unusual position in the body, since there is a large amount present in the extracellular phase of bone, and in the cells of the body, but only a very small quantity in the extracellular fluids. The magnesium present in the extracellular compartment, as measured by the serum level, is available for study. The normal range of concentration of magnesium in the serum, as determined by titrimetric and other methods, has been reported as from 1.4 to 3.6 mgm. per 100 cc. in normal adults by Cantarow, Dine and Meyers (1,2,6). In the present study, magnesium levels were determined by a spectrophotometric method in a group of 27 non patient controls and ranged from 0.65 to 1.20 mgm. per 100 cc. Our normal values are significantly lower than those reported by other workers, due perhaps to variations in methods used.