Immunochemical studies of serum, urine and calculus proteins in urolithiasis.

Total serum protein levels in 70 patients with urolithiasis were not significantly different from those in 20 control subjects, although certain variations were detected in individual protein patterns. In contrast, total urinary protein was significantly higher in patients with urolithiasis. 4-6 different components, i.e., albumin, alpha 1-acidic glycoprotein, alpha 1-antitrypsin, Gc-globulin, fibrinogen and immunoglobulin G, were found in the matrices of calculi and in urine, suggesting that proteinuria may play a role in the formation of stones in patients with urolithiasis.