Hypocitraturia in metabolically active calcium nephrolithiasis

ABSTRACT

Hypocitraturia is presumed to contribute to calcium stone formation. In this study, 52 patients with active calcium urolithiasis have been subjected to infrared spectrophotometric urolith analysis an collection of a 24-hour urinary sample for measurement of citrate, pH, calcium phosphorus, magnesium uric acid and oxalate. A venous blood sample was also taken for the measurement of calcium, potassium, uric acid, sodium phosphorus, carbon dioxide and creatinine levels. 93.3% of these patients had definite hypocitraturia, either as an isolated anomaly in 11.5% of patients or in association with hyperoxaluria and hyperuricosuria. When hypocitraturia was diagnosed more than half of the patients suffered from the severe form. Hypocitraturia in Egyptian metabolically active stone formers exceeds any known universal levels