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[Urinary trace elements excretion in patients with cystine calculosis]
Bozena Gołabek1, Kamil K Hozyasz, Anna Ruszczyńska
1Klinika Pediatrii Instytutu Matki i Dziecka w Warszawie.
Summary
Patients with cystine stones excrete less arsenic. This suggests that reduced arsenic excretion may play a role in the development of cystine calculosis, a type of kidney stone.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Environmental Health
- Analytical Chemistry
Context:
- Cystinuria is an inherited disorder leading to cystine kidney stones.
- Not all patients with cystinuria develop stones, indicating modulating factors are involved.
- Trace elements are increasingly recognized for their role in stone formation.
Purpose:
- To investigate urinary trace element excretion in patients with recurrent cystine stones.
- To compare arsenic, chromium, zinc, copper, and boron levels between patients and healthy controls.
Summary:
- Urinary arsenic excretion was significantly lower in 11 patients with cystine stones compared to 15 healthy controls.
- Patients showed higher urinary chromium levels, while zinc, copper, and boron excretion did not differ significantly.
- Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to quantify trace elements.
Impact:
- Findings suggest a potential link between decreased arsenic excretion and the pathogenesis of cystine stones.
- Highlights the importance of trace element analysis in understanding cystinuria complications.
- May inform future research into preventative strategies for cystine calculosis.