title: Studies on citrate metabolism in normal subjects and kidney stone patients.
abstract: The study was carried out in order to investigate citrate metabolism (i.e. serum levels, filtered load, tubular reabsorption, total and fasting urinary excretion) in a large group of normal subjects (n = 39) and kidney stone patients (n = 45). We found that mean serum citrate levels and filtered loads were similar in the two groups studied. On the other hand, both the 24-hour urinary citrate and the fasting citrate/creatinine ratio were significantly reduced, whereas the mean tubular reabsorption of citrate appeared to be significantly increased in kidney stone patients in respect to control subjects. A good correlation was found between the fasting and the 24-hour citrate/creatinine ratio in both normal subjects (r = 0.84, p less than 0.001) and kidney stone patients (r = 0.89, p less than 0.001). Our data indicate that the kidney appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of hypocitraturia in kidney stone patients and that a substantial proportion of these patients show a reduced urinary excretion of citrate. Finally, the evaluation of the fasting citrate/creatinine ratio may replace the measurement of the substance on the basis of a 24-hour urine collection.
authors: IV Patologia Speciale Medica e Metodologia Clinica, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Minisola
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Rossi
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Pacitti
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Scarnecchia
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Bigi
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Carnevale
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Mazzuoli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002951:Citrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000378:metabolism*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000502:physiology; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010758:Phosphorus; D003404:Creatinine; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium