Characterization of Gallbladder Stones From Cholelithiasis Patients of Northern Greece, Using Complementary Techniques

Abstract

The present study aims to characterize gallbladder stones surgically removed from patients dwelling in northern Greece. Combined techniques were employed, such as environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive system, l Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and cathodoluminescence for the determination of morphological, microstructural, and compositional (chemical and mineralogical) characteristics. Four characteristic gallstones were determined: a black pigment, consisting of aragonite and bilirubin; a mixed stone, composed of calcite, oxalates, and phosphates; a cholesterol-rich stone; and a large stone, consisting of uric acid. The importance of using such mineralogical complementary techniques is emphasized in this work. It should be noted that this is the first published analytical characterization of gallbladder stones from northern Greece.

New Evidences of Key Factors Involved in “Silent Stones” Etiopathogenesis and Trace Elements: Microscopic, Spectroscopic, and Biochemical Approach

“…The results are in agreement with the quantitative analysis of metabolites, cations, and anions in different types of gallstones; the mineral analysis provides complementary insights into the mechanism of biomineralization [33,[39][40][41]. In the same time, our results are similar with previously reported ones from different geographical areas in Europe and Asia [3,7,10] revealing that calcium is the dominant non-organic metal in all gallstones together with magnesium, iron, and copper. Much higher concentrations of copper were found in cholesterol gallstones from Iran while higher concentrations of Fe were found in gallstones from India and Nigeria [3,6,10,24,42,43].…”

“…Actually, the finger print in this case is represented by the presence of triplet (1572, 1627, and 1669 cm −1 ) which confirms the presence of bilirubinate. Moreover, CaCO 3 present in pigment stones gives rise to two characteristic IR bands at 1498 and 854 cm −1 due to C-O stretching and bending vibrations, respectively [7,11,12]. The phosphate peaks are found with different intensities as calcium phosphate at 957 cm −1 in mixed stones and a weak peak at 606 cm −1 .…”

“…Black and brown stones contain different proportions of cholesterol and bilirubin. Other compounds that have been found in gallstones include calcium carbonate (in form of calcite, aragonite, or vaterite), phosphate salts, phospholipids, fatty salts, polysaccharide, and proteins, as well as minor/trace elements: potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, chlorine, and sulfur [6][7][8][9]. By location of developing, one can divide them in gallbladder stones, most of them being cholesterol-type and black stones, or gallstone in the bile duct, most of them being swept away by bile released from the gallbladder and primarily composed of calcium bilirubinate [4][5][6].…”

Morphological and elemental mapping of gallstones using synchrotron microtomography and synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy

“…The elemental composition in our analyses of GS is similar to our earlier observations and is similar to reports from different geographical areas in Europe and Asia …”

Raman opportunities in the field of pathological calcifications

“…In the following paragraphs a selection of investigations performed on pathological calcifications developed in breast [102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113], kidney , gallbladder [140][141][142][143][144][145][146][147][148][149], prostate [150][151][152][153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161], skin [162][163][164][165][166][167][168], testicular microlithiasis [169][170][171][172][173][174][175][176]…”