The proteins and the formation of gallstones

Cholesterol supersaturation of bile requires assistance to form gallstones. Proteins have been proposed as candidates either to facilitate or hinder the formation of stones. It is assumed that the identity of these stone proteins should be revealed in order to assess their role in the process. We have used electrodialysis of crushed stones to extract the proteins followed by 2D electrophoresis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing to characterize them. The discovery of bacterial proteins in some stones adds evidence to the importance of an inflammatory process and the deconjugation of bilirubin in mixed gallstone formation.