Serum calcium and magnesium in leprosy

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease affecting peripheral nerves, skin, and other tissues.
• Electrolyte imbalances, specifically calcium and magnesium levels, may be associated with leprosy's clinical and pathological status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between serum calcium and magnesium levels and the clinical/pathological status in leprosy patients.
• To determine if these mineral levels can serve as indicators of disease severity.

Main Methods:

• Serum calcium and magnesium levels were measured in 70 leprosy patients across different clinical types.
• A control group of 25 healthy individuals was included for comparison.
• Statistical analysis was performed to assess the significance of observed differences.

Main Results:

• Serum calcium was significantly decreased in lepromatous leprosy and dimorphous leprosy but normal in tuberculoid leprosy.
• Serum magnesium levels showed a highly significant decrease across all clinical types of leprosy.
• Specific values: Lepromatous leprosy calcium (Ca=8.42+/-0.7 mg%), Dimorphous leprosy calcium (Ca=8.68+/-0.94 mg%), All leprosy types magnesium (Mg=1.08+/-0.29).

Conclusions:

• Serum calcium and magnesium levels are significantly altered in leprosy patients, particularly in lepromatous and dimorphous forms.
• Decreased serum magnesium is a consistent finding across all leprosy types.
• These findings suggest that serum calcium and magnesium may serve as potential biomarkers for leprosy, reflecting disease activity and progression.