title: Urinary oxalate recovery after oral oxalic load: an alternative method to the quantitative determination of stool fat for the diagnosis of lipid malabsorption.
abstract: Urinary oxalate concentrations were measured in 45 patients with quiescent Crohn's disease, four patients with chronic pancreatitis and five healthy subjects after a normal oxalate (150 g/day) diet, after a high-fat (150 g/day), normal oxalate diet and after and after a high-oxalate (500 mg/day) diet. Urinary oxalate concentrations were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher in patients with Crohn's disease and steatorrhoea, but not in those with chronic pancreatitis, after administrating a high-oxalate diet compared with healthy subjects. Mean oxalate values were 19.1 mg/24 h in controls compared with 65.8 mg/24 h in Crohn's disease patients. A direct correlation (r = 0.37, P less than 0.01) was established between faecal rats and urinary oxalate after oval oxalate load: this correlation (r = 0.43, P less than 0.01) is closer when only patients with Crohn's disease are considered. The study, therefore, confirmed a correlation between steatorrhoea and hyperoxaluria in patients with Crohn's disease; however, the high percentage of false positive results limits the use of urinary oxalate concentrations as a reliable indicator of lipid malabsorption. It is concluded that, at present, measurement of urinary oxalate cannot be recommended as a valid alternative to the Van de Kamer method for diagnosing lipid malabsorption.
authors.affiliation: Gastro-intestinal Unit, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sangaletti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrillo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi Porro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000601:surgery; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010070:Oxalates / Q000652:urine; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010070:Oxalates