Abstract
Trace elements are essential substances, whose content in the human tissue is less than 50 ppm (50 mg/kg). These elements, such as zinc, copper, nickel, iron, and strontium, are able to form poorly soluble salts with oxalate and phosphate ions. No pure urinary stones consisting of these compounds are known so far. However, the incorporation of zinc phosphate (hopeite) in layers in a struvite stone has been described. Organic stones, such as uric acid, contain only small amounts of trace elements. Compared to calcium oxalates, the concentration of zinc and other trace elements is higher in calcium phosphate stones. Trace elements can contribute to the stabilization of calcium oxalate dihydrate (weddellite), an unstable compound. The disintegration of calcium oxalate monohydrate (whewellite) by shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is supposed to be improved by the incorporation of trace elements. An incorporation of trace element compounds in layers or also the replacement of calcium in the crystal lattice of whewellite can be responsible for this effect. In conclusion, depending on the stone type and according to their occurrence in urine, trace elements are incorporated into a urinary stone and can affect its properties.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung, Österreichische Gesellschaft für Ernährung, Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ernährungsforschung, Schweizerische Vereinigung für Ernährung (German, Austrian and Swiss Societies of Nutrition). Referenzwerte für die Nährstoffzufuhr (Reference values for nutrient intake). Frankfurt: Umschau Braus; 2000.
Hesse A, Sanders G. Atlas of infrared spectra for the analysis of urinary concrements. Stuttgart/New York: Thieme; 1988.
Hesse A, Kruse R, Geilenkeuser WJ, Schmidt M. Quality control in urinary stone analysis: results of 44 ring trials (1980–2001). Clin Chem Lab Med. 2005;43:298–303.
Eusebio E, Elliott JS. Effect of trace metals on the crystallization of calcium oxalate. Invest Urol. 1967;4:431–5.
Sutor DJ. Growth studies of calcium oxalate in the presence of various ions and compounds. Br J Urol. 1969;41:171–8.
Scott R, East BW, Janczyszyn J, Boddy K, Yates AJ. Concentration and distribution of some minor and trace elements in urinary tract stones: a preliminary study. Urol Res. 1980;8:167–9.
Parsons J. Zinc phosphate identified as a constituent of urinary calculi. Science. 1953;118:217–8.
Schneider HJ, Straube G, Anke M. Zinc in urinary calculi (German). Z Urol Nephrol. 1970;63:895–900.
Hesse A, Dietze HJ, Berg W, Hienzsch E. Mass spectrometric trace element analysis of calcium oxalate uroliths. Eur Urol. 1977;3:359–61.
Levinson AA, Nosal M, Davidman M, Prien EL, Prien EL, Stevenson RG. Trace elements in kidney stones from three areas in the United States. Invest Urol. 1978;15:270–4.
Joost J, Tessadri R. Trace element investigations in kidney stone patients. Eur Urol. 1987;13:264–70.
Durak I, Yasar A, Yurtarslani Z, Akpoyraz M, Tasman S. Analysis of magnesium and trace elements in urinary calculi by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Br J Urol. 1988;62:203–5.
Atakan IH, Kaplan M, Seren G, Aktoz T, Gül H, Inci O. Serum, urinary and stone zinc, iron, magnesium and copper levels in idiopathic calcium oxalate stone patients. Int Urol Nephrol. 2007;39:351–6.
Bazin D, Chevallier P, Matzen G, Jungers P, Daudon M. Heavy elements in urinary stones. Urol Res. 2007;35:179–84.
Wandt MAE, Underhill G. Covariance biplot analysis of trace element concentrations in urinary stones. Br J Urol. 1988;61:474–81.
Hofbauer J, Steffan I, Höbarth K, Vujicic G, Schwetz H, Reich G, Zechner O. Trace elements and urinary stone formation: new aspects of the pathological mechanism of urinary stone formation. J Urol. 1991;145:93–6.
Hesse A, Berg W, Schneider HJ, Hienzsch E. A contribution to the formation mechanism of calcium oxalate urinary calculi. II. In vitro experiments concerning the theory of the formation of whewellite and weddellite urinary calculi. Urol Res. 1976;4:157–60.
Lin SM, Tseng CL, Yang MH. Determination of major, minor and trace elements in urinary stones by neutron activation analysis. Int J Rad Appl Instrum A. 1987;38:635–9.
Singh VK, Rai AK, Rai PK, Jindal PK. Cross-sectional study of kidney stones by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Lasers Med Sci. 2009;24:749–59.
Slojewski M, Czerny B, Safranow K, Drozdzik M, Pawlik A, Jakubowska K, Olszewska M, Golab A, Byra E, Chlubek D, Sikorski A. Does smoking have any effect in urinary stone composition and the distribution of trace elements in urine and stones? Urol Res. 2009;37:317–22.
Elliot JS, Ribeiro ME. The urinary excretion of trace metals in patients with calcium oxalate urinary stone. Invest Urol. 1973;10:253–5.
Hesse A, Schneider HJ, Berg W. Die Bedeutung von Spurenelementen in der Harnsteingenese. Zbl Pharm. 1978;117:753–6.
Trinchieri A, Mandressi A, Luongo P, Longo G, Pisani E. The influence of diet on urinary risk factors for stones in healthy subjects and idiopathic renal calcium stone formers. Br J Urol. 1991;67:230–6.
Rangnekar GV, Gaur MS. Serum and urinary zinc levels in urolithiasis. Br J Urol. 1993;71:527–9.
Grases F, Ruiz J, Costa-Bauza A, Coll R, Conte A. Zinc, copper and oxalocalcic urolithiasis. Urol Int. 1993;50:205–8.
Meyer JL, Angino EE. The role of trace metals in calcium urolithiasis. Invest Urol. 1977;14:347–50.
Grases F, Genestar C, Millan A. The influence of some metallic ions and their complexes on the kinetics of crystal growth of calcium oxalate. J Crystal Growth. 1989;94:507–12.
Küpeli S, Arikan N, Durak I, Sarica K, Akpoyraz M, Karalezli G. Efficiency of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy on calcium-oxalate stones: role of copper, iron, magnesium and zinc concentrations on disintegration of the stones. Eur Urol. 1993;23:409–12.
Turgut M, Unal I, Berber A, Demir TA, Mutlu F, Aydar Y. The concentration of Zn, Mg and Mn in calcium oxalate monohydrate stones appears to interfere with their fragility in ESWL therapy. Urol Res. 2008;36:31–8.
Meyer JL, Thomas WC. Trace metal-citric acid complexes as inhibitors of calcification and crystal growth. II. Effects of Fe(III), Cr(III) and Al(III) complexes on calcium oxalate crystal growth. J Urol. 1982;128:1376–8.
Munoz JA, Valiente M. Effects of trace metals on the inhibition of calcium oxalate crystallization. Urol Res. 2005;33:267–72.
Loutfi A, van Reen R, Hamid GA. Studies on bladder stone disease in Egyptian children. V. Composition of bladder stones. J Egypt Med Assoc. 1974;57:124–36.
Friberg L. Health hazards in the manufacture of alkaline accumulators with special reference to chronic cadmium poisoning: a clinical and experimental study. Acta Med Scand. 1950;138 Suppl 240:1–124.
Scott R, Patterson PJ, Burns R, Ottoway JM, Hussain FER, Fell GS, Dumbuya S, Iqbal M. Hypercalciuria related to cadmium exposure. Urology. 1978;11:462–5.
Hesse A, Müller R, Schneider HJ, Taubert F. Analytic experiments on the significance of the fluorine content of urinary calculi (German). Urologe A. 1978;17:207–10.
Hesse A, Schneider HJ, Berg W, Hienzsch E. Uric acid dihydrate as urinary calculus component. Invest Urol. 1975;12:405–9.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hesse, A., Siener, R. (2012). Trace Elements in Urolithiasis. In: Talati, J., Tiselius, HG., Albala, D., YE, Z. (eds) Urolithiasis. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4387-1_27
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4387-1_27
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4383-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4387-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)