Understanding the Urine Electrolyte Profile of the Individual Renal Unit

Nephrolithiasis is common within the general population. Although the majority of patients with a symptomatic stone event will not require surgical intervention, the rate of recurrence is high. Therefore, reducing this rate of recurrence is important.

Traditionally, this has been achieved with a combination of serum and urine metabolic evaluation followed by targeted medication and dietary interventions. Specifically, it is recommended that a single 24-hour urine collection for analysis of urine electrolytes be performed. A 24-hour urine collection is bladder urine, which is pooled urine from both kidneys. The urine is then analyzed for the relative and absolute concentrations of electrolytes and small molecules known to be associated with stone formation. These include creatinine, calcium, citrate, oxalate, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, uric acid, and urate.

When an abnormality is detected on a 24-hour urine collection the assumption is that this is due to a global metabolic defect present in both kidneys. However, this may not be the case. It is possible there could be a relative imbalance with both kidneys having a defect, but to different degrees (or different defects in one or multiple electrolytes). It is also possible that one kidney has a dominant defect, but the contralateral kidney is normal, and therefore the 24-hour urine collection would only represent the dominant kidney with the defect. Finally, it is possible that the converse is true. One kidney has no defect, but the contralateral kidney has a minor defect. In this example, the 24-hour urine collection would appear normal as the dominant normal kidney masks the minor defect. This concept of differential kidney electrolyte handling was previously described in children. Therefore, understanding individual kidney metabolic profiles is important.

The purpose of the investigators' study will be to (1) characterize the urine electrolyte profile of each individual renal unit; (2) identify participants who have differences between their renal unit urine electrolyte profiles, and their renal units and bladder urine electrolyte profiles; and (3) correlate differences in renal unit urine electrolyte profiles with clinical manifestations of kidney stones, such as stone formation or growth. By characterizing individual renal unit urine electrolyte profiles, the investigators' may be able to isolate a phenotype of stone formers who would not otherwise be identified with traditional 24-hour urine collection. The investigators' can then target this phenotype in future investigations with dietary and medication interventions to hopefully prevent future stone events.