Serum Electrolytes and Minerals Status in Asthmatic Patients on Corticosteroids   Tarik h. al-khayat moaed e. al-gazally maitham ahmed abdul aemma   medical journal of babylon-vol. 7- no. 4 -3 -2010 
 
مجلة بابل الطبية - المجلد السابع - العدد الثالث والرابع - 2010  359

 
Abstract
 
    Sixty nine asthmatic patients (thirty five males and thirty four females) used corticosteroid therapies as oral tablets and inhaler forms, thirty eight patients used oral tablets and thirty one patients used inhaler form. thirty five apparently healthy individuals with out any disease were taken as a control group. blood samples were drawn from patient and control groups after overnight fasting. the serum obtained from the blood was used for spectrophotometric estimation of the level of total protein, albumin, chloride, total calcium, phosphorus, total magnesium and zinc concentrations and serum alkaline phosphatase activity. sodium and potassium levels were estimated by flame photometer. 
 Ionized calcium and ionized magnesium levels were calculated by using two mathematical formulae. The results showed that oral corticosteroid caused significant increase in mean serum sodium level (p < 0.001), and significant decrease in mean serum potassium (p < 0.001), total magnesium (p < 0.001), ionized magnesium (p < 0.001), zinc (p < 0.001), corrected total calcium (p < 0.001), ionized calcium (p < 0.001), phosphorus (p < 0.001) and alkaline phosphatase activity levels (p < 0.001) when compared with those of the control group and those who used inhaled corticosteroid. the significant decrease in the mean serum chloride is (p < 0.01) when compared with the control group and (p < 0.05) when compared with those who used inhaled corticosteroid. also the results elucidated that oral corticosteroid had no significant influence on mean serum total protein (p > 0.05) and albumin (p > 0.05) levels when compared with those of the control group and those who used inhaled corticosteroid. the obtained results explained that inhaled corticosteroid had no significant effect on all the measured parameters when compared with those of the control group (p> 0.05). it was concluded that oral corticosteroids possess more undesirable effects on the measured parameters than inhaled form as appeared by the changes in the measured parameters. thus, the measurement of serum electrolytes and the correction of mineral status is quite important during corticosteroid therapy.