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cystic fibrosis and magnesium
- Question
- Hello,
I am the mother of a son, 15, who has cystic fibrosis.
In recent months, he has been supplemented with magnesium and vitamin B6 because tests showed a deficiency (genetic?) in the transport of Mg to the cell.
A pediatrician specializing in treating children with pervasive developmental disorders with magnesium told me that a colleague is asking himself the question wether there could be a relationship between this deficit and that of the CFTR protein. Do you think this could be a possible track for research?
Sincerely,
- Answer
- Dear Madam,
Magnesium (Mg) is one of the cations (positively charged ions) the most abundant of the body after sodium, potassium and calcium. It is a major component of various metabolic processes of the body and plays an important role in the ionic balance of the membranes, neuromuscular excitability and synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids. The body contains about 25 g of Mg (1000 mmol) of which 60% is in bone and 25% in muscle. Only 1% of Mg is outside the cells and measurement in blood of magnesiemia is unrepresentative of Mg reserves.
Hypomagnesemia is characterized by values lower than 0.65 mmol / l. The causes may be digestive (inadequate dietary intake, malabsorption with steatorrhea), intestinal resection and extended vomiting or diarrhea) or renal (failure to reabsorption in the renal tubule, often linked to drug impairment including certain antibiotics (aminoglycosides) or immunosuppressants (cyclosporine)). In theory, then a magnesium deficiency in a patient with cystic fibrosis may be due to several causes: inadequate intake, malabsorption, diarrhea, drug related kidney impairment. The review of the literature reports cases of hypomagnesemia in patients with cystic fibrosis after repeated intravenous antibiotic treatments with aminoglycosides (eg gentamicin or tobramycin). The role of magnesium in the pathophysiology of CFTR protein deficiency has not been described.
It seems therefore useful to discuss the potential causes of magnesium deficiency with the medical team looking after your son.
I hope that answers your question
Sincerely,
Dr Sophie Ravilly - 21.06.2011
