title: Permanently reduced plasma ionized magnesium among renal transplant recipients on cyclosporine.
abstract: Hypomagnesemia is common after kidney transplantation. Until recently, only the determination of total plasma magnesium was possible, whereas the assessment of ionized magnesium has since become practicable. One hundred and nine renal transplant patients on cyclosporine with allografts functioning stably for more than 6 months and plasma creatinine levels of less than 200 micromol/l entered the study. Total and ionized circulating magnesium were assessed among these 109 patients, as well as among 15 renal transplant patients not on cyclosporine and 21 healthy volunteers. Cyclosporine patients showed significantly lower total and ionized circulating magnesium values than the two control groups. Plasma total and ionized magnesium levels were also significantly lower among cyclosporine patients treated concurrently with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents than among those who were not. No correlation was noted between time after transplantation and plasma magnesium with respect to patients on cyclosporine. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that a large subset of renal transplant patients treated with cyclosporine have permanent deficiencies of ionized and total magnesium. The tendency towards hypomagnesemia is also more pronounced among patients with diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Berne, CH-3010 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Vannini
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Mazzola
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodoni
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Truttmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wermuth
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bianchetti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D008274:Magnesium; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone