ABSTRACT
To evaluate free amino acid levels in Plasma and 24-h urine samples of control subjects and patients with calcium urolithiasis. Design: Amino acid analysis of Plasma and 24-hour urine samples. Setting: Department of surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Hyderabad and Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. Subject All calcium stone formers and controls are hospital in-patients. Main outcome measures: To demonstrate differences between calcium stone formers and non-stone forming controls with respect to their plasma and 24-hour urine amino acid profiles. Plasma levels of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, hydroxyproline, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine and valine were significantly higher [p <0.01] in calcium stone patients than in control subjects. The urinary excretions of aspartic acid, cystine, glycine, hydroxyproline, lysine, phenylalanine, serine, threonine, lyrosine and valine were significantly higher [p < 0.01] and of alanine lower [p <0.01] in patients compared to the corresponding value in control subjects. The data presented in this paper indicates some striking differences in the levels of many amino acids as indicated by mean plasma concentrations and daily excretions from urolithic patients and control subjects