Microelements and Heavy Metals in Urinary Calculi

摘要

Introduction arid objective:The presence and role of heavy metals in urinary stones is debated. The purpose of this study was evaluation of the distribution of heavy metals and microelements concentrations in the urinary stones and identification of the microelements which may play a role in stone formation.Methods:A total of 52 urinary stones were collected from the patients following either medical treatment or endoscopic retrieval. The contents of metals and trace metals were determined by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrome-try (ICP-AES) analytical technique. Statistical correlations were determined using Minitab 16 software.Results:Out of the 52 tested stones 13 were characterized as phosphate containing stones in the form of calcium phosphate, 26 as calcium oxalate stones, and the remaining 13 were uricite. Calcium Phosphate stones were significantly higher in Na, Mg, Sr, Zn, and P than calcium oxalate stones (P<0.01). There were significant higher concentrations of Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Zn, Pb, P, and S in calcium phosphate stones than in uric acid stones (P<0.01). Calcium oxalate stones showed significantly higher contents of Na, Ca, Sr, P, and S than in uric acid stones (P<0.01). Non-urate stones (39) had significantly higher concentration of Na, Ca, Sr, Zn, P, and S than mate stones (13) (P< 0.01). Correlation between different elements and calcium content of stones were calculated. Calcium phosphate stones showed significantly higher ratios in Sr, Zn, and P than in calcium oxalate stones (P=/< 0.01). Urate stones had significantly higher ratios in Na, K, Mg, Ba, Al, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Pb, and S than in calcium oxalate stones (P<0.01). The correlation was significantly less for calcium phosphate stones in Na, K, Mg, Ba, Al, Fe, Cu, Pb, and S than urate stones (P<0.05). Urate stones showed significantly higher ratios for Na, K, mg, Ba, Al, V. Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Pb, and S than non-tirate stones (P<0.05).Conclusion: The preliminary results of our study showed significant difference in metals and trace elements concentrations in the three investigated calculi groups. Phosphate calculi exhibited higher concentrations of Mg, Sr and Zn elements compared to calcium oxalate or uric acid stones. Uric acid stones contained most of the trace elements. The concentration ratio between the trace elements and the Calcium is crucial in stone formation and detrimental of stone type.