title: [Causes of biliary sludge].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To specify characteristics of biochemical bile composition contributing to destabilization of colloid properties of bile in patients with biliary "sludge".
  
  
  METHODS
  37 patients with "sludge" in the gallbladder (GB), 10 patients with cholelithiasis and 10 patients with intact GB participating in the study were examined for bile portion B bile acids (BA), cholesterol and phospholipids (PL); lipid and lipoprotein blood composition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three types of biochemical composition of bile in GB "sludge" patients were identified. 22 patients had elevated levels of cholesterol and PL in subnormal content of BA (group 1); 9 patients had normal FA and cholesterol, low content of biliary PL (group 2); 6 patients had normal concentrations of the three components (group 3). Blood lipids were characterized by elevated levels of total cholesterol and LDLP cholesterol in group 1; low HDLP cholesterol and triglycerides in group 2 and almost normal values in group 3. Basing on these data, causes of "sludge" formation in the GB are suggested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biliary "sludge" may form because of excessive cholesterol in bile, low phospholipid levels or in normal proportion of the studied substances.
authors.forename: S Iu
authors.initials: SIu
authors.lastname: Sil'verstova
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Il'chenko
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Drozdov
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Vikhrova
authors.forename: Iu N
authors.initials: IuN
authors.lastname: Orlova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged