Analysis of stones formed in the human gall bladder and kidney using advanced spectroscopic techniques

Abstract

Stone diseases (gallstones and kidney stones) are extremely painful and often cause death. The prime aim of biomedical research in this area has been determination of factors resulting in stone formation inside the gallbladder and urinary tract. Many theories have been put forward to explain the mechanism of stone formation and their growth; however, their complete cycle of pathogenesis is still under debate. Several factors are responsible for stone formation; however, much emphasis is placed on the determination of elemental and molecular composition of the stones. In the present review article, we describe different kinds of spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and highlight their use in the analysis of stone diseases. We have summarized work done on gallstones and kidney stones using these advanced techniques particularly over the last 10 years. We have also briefly elaborated the basics of stone formations inside the human body and their complications for a better understanding of the subject.

Foreword to microcrystalline pathologies: combining clinical activity and fundamental research at the nanoscale

“…Other compounds without calcium have been identified in other organs as well [97][98][99][100][101][102]. Among them, we can mention cholesterol in gall bladder [98,99], or monosodium urate causative for gout in joints [101,102].…”

Grape Infusions: Between Nutraceutical and Green Chemistry

“…Thus, knowledge of the ultrastructure of the leaves of the different cultivars is important to assess the viability of their use in human food. According to Vilela and Pinto [24], some varieties of Vitis vinifera have crystals of calcium oxalate in the leaves, making its use unfeasible for human consumption, due to the potential risk of causing kidney stones [25].…”

Biophysical Reviews—Quantitative analysis of biological phenomenon

“…The sixth contribution to this Issue (Singh et al 2020) is the journal's first review article contributed from the Jammu and Kashmir region. This article is a collaboration between a team of physicists and medical doctors reviewing the role of spectroscopic methods for the determination of the elemental and molecular composition of gall bladder and kidney stones.…”

“…The third aspect of this Review discusses published findings on the composition of gall and kidney stones determined using these spectroscopic methods. By reviewing region-specific tendencies associated with stone composition, the authors note a possible dietary determinant to the etiology of stone formation and presentation (Singh et al 2020).…”