Biochemical determinants of severe lithogenic activity in patients with idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the biochemical alterations in plasma and the urine determinants of severe lithogenic activity in patients with idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 120 patients divided into 2 groups: group 1, 60 patients without nephrolithiasis; and group 2, 60 patients with severe and/or recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis. In all patients, a study of renal function, calcium metabolism, and bone remodeling markers, and a study of the lithogenic factors were performed in urine after fasting and in 24-hour urine samples.

Results: We observed greater values for phosphorus in group 1 than in group 2 (P=.03). Also, we found greater values for intact parathyroid hormone (P=.01), osteocalcin (P=.000), and β-crosslaps (P=.000) in group 2 than in group 1. In the 24-hour urine samples, significant differences were found between groups 1 and 2 in calciuria (11.7 vs 17.4 mg/dL; P=.000), citraturia (50.6 vs 33.5 mg/dL; P=.002), calcium/creatinine quotient (0.14 vs 0.20; P=.001), calcium/citrate quotient (0.05 vs 0.13; P=.04), and calcium/creatinine quotient after fasting (0.09 vs 0.16; P=.000).

Conclusion: We consider the determinants of severe and/or recurrent calcium lithiasis to be hypercalciuria and hypocitraturia and a calcium/citrate quotient>0.06. As risk markers we can consider phosphatemia<2.9 mg/dL, phosphate/chlorine quotient>35, alkaline phosphatase>80 U/L, intact parathyroid hormone>60 pg/mL, osteocalcin>16 ng/mL, β-crosslaps>0.400 ng/mL, and β-crosslaps/osteocalcin quotient>0.028.