| Abstract: | ![]()
The formation of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasiscan be estimated by measuring the concentration ofcalcium oxalate versus the inhibitory role of crystalformation in the urine. In recent studies, thecalcium oxalate saturation index and the inhibitoryactivity (by modified Sarig's method) of the urineduring fasting and after oral calcium loading innormal subjects and in patients with calcium nepliro-lithiasis were determined. It was shown that, innormal comrols after calcium loading the inhibitoryactivity of the urine increased in parallel with theincrease in urinary excretion of calcium oxalate; incontrast, in patients with kidney stones, it remainedunchanged or fell slightly. This abnormal responsemight result in a disturbance of the saturation-inhibi-tion balance and formation of kidney stone. Innormal individuals, there may be a "protective re-sponse" to prevent the precipitation of calciumoxalate when the urrine is oversaturated with calciumoxalate while a defect of the "protective response"in patients may be an important factor in calciumoxalate stone formation. |
