Plasma and intracellular magnesium status in patients with alcoholic steatosis or cirrhosis of liver with and without essential hypertension

In 30 healthy subjects, 19 patients with a steatosis and 14 patients with a cirrhosis of the liver due to chronic alcoholism, plasma and total intracellular magnesium concentrations were determined. Cellular measurements were performed in red blood cells. Magnesium was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy (Video 12 apparatus of Thermo Electron, Andover, USA). In controls and patients with a steatosis there was no significant difference in plasma magnesium concentrations (0.98 ± 0.12 mmol/l versus 0.98 ± 0.18 mol/l). Plasma magnesium concentrations in patients with cirrhosis of liver were measured 0.85 ± 0.22 mmol/l which was significantly decreased as compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.05); nearly all plasma values were within the normal range for magnesium. Intracellular magnesium concentrations were not found of significant difference in controls versus patients with a steatosis due to alcoholism (1.86 ± 0.14 mmol/l versus 1.83 ± 0.24 mmol/l). In drinkers with cirrhosis of liver intracellular magnesium levels were significantly lowered as compared to healthy subjects or to the steatosis patients (1.31 ± 0.23 mmol/l, p < 0.001). A subgroup (n = 5) of drinkers with cirrhosis of liver and essential hypertension showed plasma Mg ++ concentrations of 0.79 ± 0.31 mmol/l and erythrocyte Mg ++ concentrations of 1.25 ± 0.20 mmol/l being significantly reduced as compared to controls (p < 0.001) but being not significantly different to the cirrhosis of liver patients without essential hypertension (1.33 ± 0.25 mmol/l). The data presented here show that a cellular magnesium deficiency depends on the degree of the liver disease in chronic alcoholism. Furthermore, cellular magnesium content is a better parameter when determining alterations in magnesium status in alcohol-induced diseases of the liver than plasma magnesium concentrations, which can still remain in the normal range even in severe forms of cirrhosis.