Relationship between some trace elements and urinary stone formation

ABSTRACT

Some trace element concentrations [manganese, iron, cupper, nickel, zinc, cadmium and lithium] were determined in the urinary stones, serum and 24 hour urine of 20 urinary stone patients using an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. Thirty two calculi were examined; group I [12] were pure calcium oxalate, group II [9] were mixed calcium oxalate/uric acid and group III were pure uric acid. An attempt was made to compare the levels of these trace elements in calculi with the levels in normal hair as standard. The data obtained from serum and urine for 20 stone patiens were compared with those of 10 healthy individuals. Urinary manganese, nickel, zinc and lithium excretion and serum manganese, nickel and cadmium concentrations were statistically significantly lower for stone patients compared to those of healthy individuals. In groups I and II zinc content in stone was lower than that of hair. On the other hand, no difference in the concentrations of other trace elements could be found for stone patients and healthy control