[Effect of mineral water on metabolic processes].

The paper comparatively analyzes the effect of the mineral water "Penta" on the biochemical parameters of blood and urine, which characterize the functional activity of renal metabolic processes. A group comprising 10 examinees without renal disease took water by the routine mineral water scheme for 4 days. Comparison of the biochemical parameters before and after water taking revealed a significant reduction in azotemia and uric acid levels with its simultaneously enhanced excretion, as well as an increasing tendency for the excretion of oxalates, i.e. the most important parameters determining the formation of urate and oxalate calculi. These findings allow use "Penta", to a certain degree, in the treatment of renal disease, urolithiasis in particular, and in the prevention of stone formation.

Litiasis renal en Costa Rica: bioquímica y epidemiología / Nephrolithiasis in Costa Rica: Biochemistry and Epidemiology

Resumen Objetivo: La litiasis renal es la tercera enfermedad urológica más común, siendo una causa considerable de morbilidad por la sintomatología que presenta. Aunque es conocida en otros países, incluyendo Latinoamérica, en el nuestro no disponemos de informes sobre la situación, razón por la cual este estudio pretende establecer la composición bioquímica diferencial de los cálculos renales más frecuentes, para así distinguir epidemiológicamente si existen variables entre las edades y sexo. Métodos: Se encontraron 291 casos de pacientes cuyas muestras fueron referidas al centro en el periodo de 1 octubre de 2015 al 30 de septiembre de 2017. Se realizaron descripciones de las variables clínico-biológicas, y comparaciones estadísticas entre la composición bioquímica de los cálculos renales y edades descritas, para encontrar diferencias entre sexos. Resultados: Hay una mayor prevalencia de litiasis renal en hombres (62 %), en comparación con las mujeres (38 %). La mediana de presentación de la litiasis renal fue de 45 años. Se presentó en la quinta década de edad en hombres y en la cuarta década de edad en mujeres. Los compuestos oxalato de calcio, carbonato de apatita, ácido úrico y estruvita fueron los más prevalentes en litiasis renal. Conclusión: La situación de la litiasis renal en Costa Rica fue similar a la descrita en otros países. Se observa un mayor rango etario en la distribución de la enfermedad en ambos sexos. La enfermedad en el país representa un problema multifactorial en el cual las comorbilidades y los factores dietarios propician la litiasis renal.

Summary Aim: Kidney stones are the third most common urological disease, after urinary infection and prostatic disease. It is a considerable cause of morbility due to the symptoms it presents, causing many consults to the health system. This disease is well known in other countries, including Latinoamerica, but in our country there is no information available about our statistics. This study pretends to stablish the frequency of differential and biochemical composition of kidney stones in our population and distinguish differences between age and gender. Methods: 291 cases whose kidney stones samples were referred to our center in the period from October first, 2015 to September 30th, 2017. Description of the clinical and biological variables was made, and statistical comparisons were made in terms of biochemical composition, gender and age to find differences. Results: There was a higher prevalence of kidney stones in men (62%) compared to women (38%). The median age of presentation of the disease was 45 years. It occurs in the fifth decade of life in 80 Acta méd costarric Vol 62 (2), abril-junio 2020men and the forth decade in women. The compounds calcium oxalate, apatite carbonate, uric acidand struvite were the most prevalent among the patients. Conclusion: The situation of renal lithiasis in Costa Rica is similar to that described in other countries. A greater age range was observed in the distribution of the disease in both sexes. The disease in the country represents a multifactorial problem in which comorbidities and dietary factors favor renal lithiasis.

Kidney stones: a fetal origins hypothesis.

Kidney stones are common, with a multifactorial etiology involving dietary, environmental, and genetic factors. In addition, patients with nephrolithiasis are at greater risk of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, although the basis for this is not fully understood. All of these renal stone-associated conditions have also been linked with adverse early-life events, including low-birth weight, and it has been suggested that this developmental effect is due to excess exposure to maternal glucocorticoids in utero. This is proposed to result in long-term increased hypothalamic-pituitary-axis activation; there are mechanisms through which this effect could also promote urinary lithogenic potential. We therefore hypothesize that the association between renal stone disease and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis may be related by a common pathway of programming in early life, which, if validated, would implicate the developmental origins hypothesis in the etiology of nephrolithiasis.

Antenatal diagnosis of fetal renal calculus.

Pediatric urolithiasis is commonly associated with structural renal tract anomalies and metabolic disorders. Antenatal diagnosis of renal calculi is extremely rare, with only one report in the literature. We present a case of renal stone formation diagnosed at 34 weeks' gestation on ultrasound examination.