Evaluation of a routine method for determination of calcium oxalate crystal growth inhibition in diluted urine samples.

We have evaluated a routine method for determination of the inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal growth in diluted urine samples. A crystallization inhibition index is calculated from the decrease in [14C]oxalate concentration in a metastable solution of calcium chloride and sodium oxalate after addition of seed crystals of calcium oxalate. The coefficient of variation between different determinations on the same sample is less than 1.5%, and there is good correspondence between indices obtained by this method and by a more laborious older method. We also studied the influence of different urinary constituents on the crystal growth rate in the system; whereas there was significant inhibition with citrate, chondritin sulfate, and pyrophosphate, no effects were observed with ordinary urinary concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and oxalate. The mean inhibition index was lower in a group of male patients with calcium oxalate stone disease than in a control group of normal men.