Immediate and long-term high levels of plasma homocysteine after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with renal stone disease

Relationship of Cholelithiasis and Urolithiasis with Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphisms

AIM

To investigate the relationship of cholelithiasis and urolithiasis with Methylenetetrehydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism(s) in patients with poor obstetric history to search whether they are risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcome.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This study is consisted of 94 patients with poor obstetric history. Patients were evaluated in terms of the presence of cholelithiasis and urolithiasis in association with MTHFR polymorphism(s). Additional laboratory tests including homocysteine measurements were also performed. ROC analysis for assessing the performance of blood homocysteine level in predicting the presence of cholelithiasis and urolithiasis were also performed.

RESULTS

Patients were divided into three groups such as cholelithiasis group (n = 9, 9.6%), urolithiasis group (n = 18, 19.1%) and control group (n = 67, 71.3%). Groups did not differ in term of age and Beksac obstetrics index (BOI) which is "[living child+(π/10)]/gravidity." The rate of the presence of MTHFR polymorphisms were 88.9% (8/9), 88.9% (16/18) and 43.3% (29/67) in cholelithiasis, urolithiasis and control groups respectively. Median homocysteine levels were found to be 13.1, 11.6 and 7.2 micromol/lt for the groups respectively. Statistically significant differences were found for MTHFR polymorphism rates and homocysteine levels (<0.001 for both). According to ROC analysis, 10.9 mcmol/L (88.9% sensitivity, 89.6% specificity) and 9.25 mcmol/L (83.3% sensitivity, 73.1% specificity) were determined to be cutoff values of homocysteine for cholelithiasis and urolithiasis respectively.

CONCLUSION

More frequent MTHFR polymorphisms are observed in women with a clinical history of gall or renal stones. Thus, screening of these patients may be benefical for the approprate management of their subsequent pregnancies.

Does extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy therapy affect thiol-disulfide homeostasis?

Objective:

Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) is a non-invasive method that is effective at crushing stones in the upper urinary tract. Disturbance of the thiol/disulfide homeostasis, in favor of the disulfide, has been shown to be involved in the disease pathogenesis.

Methods:

A total of 36 individuals that underwent ESWL had blood samples collected before ESWL (0hrs), 6hrs, and one week after the ESWL. Sera native and total as wells as disulfide amount was measured using an automated method sodium borohydrate (NaBH₄) reduction. In addition, Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) levels were measured using colorimetric assay method.

Results:

Native thiol level was reduced at the 6th hour following ESWL compared to baseline. While the ratios of disulfide level, Disulfide/Total Thiol (DTT), Disulfide/Native Thiol (DNT) and IMA level were increased at the 6th hour following ESWL compared to baseline, they were found to be similar with their baseline values at the end of 1st week. Total thiol and native /total thiol did not show any significant change.

Conclusions:

ESWL treatment disrupts thiol/disulfide homeostasis and the structure of albumin at the acute term. Therefore, it increases protein oxidation and leads to increased oxidative stress. However, this state is transient and returns to normal within the proceeding days.