The pattern of serum biochemical abnormalities in patients with gallstones

The sera from 144 patients (27 males and 117 females) with documented gallstones were assayed for eight different biochemical quantities, in order to study the pattern of specific biochemical changes in the blood of such patients and to establish any aetiologic relationship with gallstones. These quantities included: fasting glucose, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, fasting total cholesterol, and fasting triacylglycerol. The same analysis was performed on sera obtained from 50 (9 males and 41 females) age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The statistical analysis showed that female patients had significantly higher values for fasting plasma glucose; alkaline phosphatase, total protein and albumin; and significantly lower values for bilirubin and total cholesterol than female controls. No overall differences in the levels of alanine aminotransferase and triacylglycerol were observed between the two female groups. Male patients on the other hand showed significantly higher values for fasting glucose and alkaline phosphatase than male controls. All other quantities, however, were not significantly different between the two male groups. When chemical analysis of the gallstones was performed, no consistent relationship was observed between the level of any of the above mentioned quantities and the chemical subtype of the gallstone (for both male and female patients). These data suggest that no specific serum biochemical pattern characterizes gallstone disease, and that there is no relationship between the stone type and the serum level of the studied quantities.