Epidemiology of Urolithiasis in Japan: A Chronological and Geographical Study

Abstract

A nationwide survey on urolithiasis in Japan between 1965 through 1987 was carried out, succeeding the previous 1955 and 1966 studies, in an effort to evaluate chronological and geographical changes in urolithiasis among the Japanese people who are relatively racially homogenous and living with similar customs and habits, which have changed dramatically from the old Japanese to westernized modes in a very short period after the Second World War. Incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones in the upper urinary tract has been increasing in Japan since the Second World War with increasing westernization of life-style and industrialization, with the annual incidence of urolithiasis steadily increasing from 53.8/100,000 general population in 1965 to 92.5 in 1985. According to the data, 5.4% of the population may be expected to develop a urinary calculus at least once in their life time. Analysis of 69,949 stones obtained during the years from 1978 to 1987 with infrared analysis showed that 79.4% were calcium oxalate and/or calcium phosphate stones, 7.4% were struvite with or without carbonate apatite, 5.2% were uric acid or urate, and 1.0% were cystine. In the era of new treatment modalities such as the endourological surgery and the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, open surgical treatments were replaced with new types of treatment in about 75%ofthecasesin 1985.

Oxalate: From the Environment to Kidney Stones

“…Over 70 compounds were identifi ed in a study on >10,500 stones; CaOx was the predominant compound present in ~87 % of cases, followed by CaP (~80 %) and purines (~19 %) (6). In another study (7), approx. 70,000 stones were analyzed during a 10-year period and nearly 80 % were built from CaOx and/or brushite, ~7 % mainly from carbonate and various apatites, ~5 % from urate, and ~1 % from cystine.…”

The liver and kidney expression of sulfate anion transporter sat-1 in rats exhibits male-dominant gender differences

“…In humans, oxalate is known to be a major cause of urolithiasis; oxalate stones represent up to 79% of all cases [8,48]. Men exhibit higher oxalate excretion levels than women [26], as well as higher incidence of oxalate stones [7]; the incidence is two to threefold higher in male patients in middle age (30-59 years) but similar in both genders in young and old patients [7,8,22,48].…”

“…Men exhibit higher oxalate excretion levels than women [26], as well as higher incidence of oxalate stones [7]; the incidence is two to threefold higher in male patients in middle age (30-59 years) but similar in both genders in young and old patients [7,8,22,48]. Furthermore, in a few studies of experimental nephrolithiasis in rats treated with ethylene glycol, testosterone stimulated, whereas female sex hormones inhibited, urine excretion of oxalate and formation of oxalate stones [15,25].…”

Tratamento cirúrgico da litíase vesical: revisão de literatura

“…Bladder stones are rare in developed countries and in adults they are most commonly associated with bladder outlet obstruction, chronic infection or the presence of an intravesical foreign body 4 . They can occur in childhood and are related to malnutrition, especially in a protein-poor diet 5 .…”