Decreased renal vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase activity in calcium oxalate calculi patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study the activity of vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase in patients with calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolithiasis compared with healthy individuals and to assess its relationship to the renal calcium oxalate urolithiasis.


METHODS
Renal parenchymas were harvested from urolithic patients and renal tumor patients undergoing nephrectomy. The renal carboxylase activity was evaluated as the radioactivity of [(14)C] labeled sodium bicarbonate in carboxylic reactions in vitro using beta-liquid scintillation counting.


RESULTS
Significantly reduced activity of renal vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase was observed in the urolithic group as compared with normal controls (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
It suggests that the reduced carboxylase activity observed in the urolithic patients may play an important role in the course of renal calcium oxalate urolithiasis.
Chen
Junhui
J
Department of Urology, Wuhan First Hospital, Wuhan 430022, China. jhch800@hotmail.com
Liu
Jihong
J
Zhang
Yongshang
Y
Ye
Zhangqun
Z
Wang
Shaogang
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000378:metabolism*; D019735:Carbon-Carbon Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology*; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000201:enzymology*; D008875:Middle Aged
D002129:Calcium Oxalate; D019735:Carbon-Carbon Ligases; C020660:glutamyl carboxylase