Abstract

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the association of serum magnesium levels with the necrotizing and edematous types of acute pancreatitis in the patients with and without hypocalcemia.

METHODS

The hospital records of 114 patients, meeting the criteria of the revised Atlanta classification of acute pancreatitis, were evaluated retrospectively for their serum magnesium, calcium, albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and leukocyte and platelet counts.

RESULTS

Mean age was 58.9±15 years. Serum magnesium, calcium and albumin levels were lower in the patients with the necrotizing type of acute pancreatitis than in those with the edematous type (1.85±0.6 mg/dl vs. 2.12 ±0.26 mg/dl; p<0.001, 8.37±0.51 mg/dl vs. 8.86 ±0.59 mg/dl; p<0.001 and 3.34 g/dl ±0.67 g/dl vs. 3.75 ±0.46 g/dl; p=0.003, respectively). Patients with hypocalcemia compared to the patients without hypocalcemia had lower levels of serum magnesium, and higher levels of serum CRP and leucocyte counts, (p<0.001, p=0.002 and p=0.002, respectively). According to the type of disease, advanced age increased 1.047-fold (CI: 1.006-1.089; p=0.025), normal levels of serum magnesium increased 45.4-fold (CI: 3.548-582.336; p=0.003) in patients with the edematous type, and, high levels of serum CRP increased 1.082-fold (CI: 1.017-1.157; p=0.013) in patients with the necrotizing type of acute pancreatitis. After adjustment was made for the disease severity, the serum magnesium levels were found to be moderately correlated with the serum albumin levels (r=0.32; p<0.001).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Although patients with the necrotizing type of acute pancreatitis and hypocalcemia had low levels of serum magnesium, hypomagnesemia was not associated with the disease severity in patients with acute pancreatitis.