Metabolic profile and impact of diet in patients with primary hyperoxaluria

The primary goal of this pilot study was to evaluate metabolic characteristics and to examine the impact of diet in patients with primary hyperoxaluria (PH) under controlled, standardized conditions.

Four patients with genetically confirmed PH collected 24 h urines on their habitual, self-selected diets and on day 1, 6, 7, 8, and 11 under controlled, standardized conditions. The [¹³C₂]oxalate absorption, calcium, and ammonium chloride loading tests were performed.

While none of the patients had abnormal findings from the calcium loading test, incomplete distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) was diagnosed in each of the four patients. Dietary intervention resulted in a significant decrease in urinary oxalate expressed as molar creatinine ratio (mmol/mol) between 30 and 40% in two of four patients. The evaluation of dietary records revealed a high daily intake of oxalate-rich foods as well as gelatin-containing sweets and meat products, rich sources of hydroxyproline, under the habitual, self-selected diets of the two responders. Intestinal oxalate hyperabsorption of 12.4% in one of the two patients may have additionally contributed to the increased urinary oxalate excretion under the individual diet.

Our pilot data indicate that patients with PH may benefit from a restriction of dietary oxalate and hydroxyproline intake. Further research is needed to define the role of distal RTA in PH and to evaluate the hypothesis of an acquired acidification defect.