IN VITRO METHODS FOR DETERMINING AN INTRACELLULAR FREE MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY OF INDIVIDUALS BY DETERMINING THE EXPRESSION RATE OF A CELLULAR MG2+ TRANSPORTER GENE

摘要

An in vitro method is disclosed for determining the presence or absence of an intracellular free magnesium deficiency in a human individual by determining the expression rate of at least one cellular Mg2+ transporter gene showing a direct correlation between its expression rate and the intracellular free magnesium ion concentration [Mg2+]i in a cell sample of said individual and comparing the obtained expression rate with a reference value, wherein an increase of the expression rate relative to the reference value indicates that the individual suffers from an intracellular free magnesium deficiency. Suitable Mg2+ transporter genes include CNNM2, SLC41A1 and SLC41A3.