title: The effect of serum magnesium levels and serum endothelin-1 levels on bone mineral density in protein energy malnutrition.
abstract: An inadequate and imbalanced intake of protein and energy results in protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). It is known that bone mineral density and serum magnesium levels are low in malnourished children. However, the roles of serum magnesium and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in the pathophysiology of bone mineralization are obscure. Thus, the relationships between serum magnesium and ET-1 levels and the changes in bone mineral density were investigated in this study. There was a total of 32 subjects, 25 of them had PEM and seven were controls. While mean serum ET-1 levels of the children with kwashiorkor and marasmus showed no statistically significant difference, mean serum ET-1 levels of both groups were significantly higher than that of the control group. Serum magnesium levels were lower than normal value in 9 (36%) of 25 malnourished children. Malnourished children included in this study were divided into two subgroups according to their serum magnesium levels. While mean serum ET-1 levels in the group with low magnesium levels were significantly higher than that of the group with normal magnesium levels (p < 0.05), mean bone mineral density and bone mineral content levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05). In conclusion, many factors play a role in the pathophysiology of changes in bone mineral density in malnutrition. Our study suggested that lower magnesium levels and higher ET-1 levels might be important factors in changes of bone mineral density in malnutrition. We recommend that the malnourished patients, especially with hypomagnesaemia, should be treated with magnesium early.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Atatiirk University, Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey. zerrinorbak@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karakelleoglu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Orbak
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yildiz
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007732:Kwashiorkor / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D008274:Magnesium