Comparative study of changing patterns of concanavalin A-binding proteins in early stage of cholesterol gallstone formation.

AIM: To elucidate the importance and the changing patterns of biliary concanavalin A-binding proteins (CPs) in the early stage of cholesterol gallstone formation.
METHODS: CP concentration and nucleation activity were measured by lectin affinity chromatography in bile samples of patients with cholesterol gallstones, pigment gallstones, gallbladder cholesterosis and non-biliary diseases.
RESULTS: The concentrations of CPs were much higher in patients with cholesterol gallstones (0.39 ± 0.11 g/L, n = 36, P < 0.01) or gallbladder cholesterosis (0.40 ± 0.09 g/L, n = 9, P < 0.01) than in those with pigment gallstones (0.2 ± 0.12 g/L, n = 7) and/or non-biliary diseases (0.27 ± 0.09 g/L, n = 10). Pronucleating activities were much stronger in patients with cholesterol gallstones (nucleation time ratio: 0.57 ± 0.21, n = 5, P < 0.01 vs pigment gallstones and/or non biliary diseases) and gallbladder cholesterosis (nucleation time ratio: 0.44 ± 0.23, n = 5, P < 0.01 vs pigment gallstones or non-biliary diseases). The binding percentages of CPs to model biliary vesicles were also higher for patients with cholesterol gallstones (n = 6) than those with pigment gallstones (n = 6) (2.4% ± 0.9% vs 0.9% ± 0.5%, P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: Hypersecretion of CPs, especially those in vesicular phase, may be an important change in the early stage of cholesterol gallstone formation.