[Gallstone biochemical characteristics using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method]

Abstract

This study reports biochemical composition and morphological aspect of gallstones as investigated by spectroscopy IR method. Participants were 24 patients composed of 12 males and 12 females who underwent cholecystectomy with age mean of 44.8 years. The gallstones were classified either as pigments stones (n = 12), cholesterol stones (n = 8) or as mixed stones (n = 4) according to analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The infrared spectroscopy quantification reported eight stones contained 100% of cholesterol, eight of 100% of calcium bilirubinate, four stones were composed of 65% calcium bilirubinate phosphate and 35% calcium carbonate, and four stones contained 65% cholesterol, 30% neutral calcium bilirubinate, 5% protein and traces of calcium bilirubinate acid. Our findings showed that most gallstones were composed of pigment stones with relative large proportion of cholesterol stones, whereas previous study in Caucasian reported predominance of cholesterol stones. These findings indicate the influence of diet and chronic haemolysis in the stones formation in regard to biochemical composition differences between those found in European area and our results. Therefore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method allowed to determine quality and quantity of biochemical components of gallstones. Therefore, a careful survey must allow knowing the nutritional and environmental factors in the occurrence of gallstones to Côte d'Ivoire, in order to prevent this disease.