Urinary supersaturation with respect to brushite in patients suffering calcium oxalate lithiasis.

The urines of 23 stone-formers presenting repeated calcium oxalate lithiasis and 12 control subjects were collected at six different time periods daily. Supersaturations for calcium oxalate and brushite (DCPD) were calculated using ionic and solubility products. Urines of both groups were supersaturated for calcium oxalate but only urines of the stone-formers were supersaturated for brushite, the most simple calcium phosphate which nucleates very easily at the urinary pH. This fact suggests that the core of the calcium oxalate stone could be made of either a calcium oxalate crystallite or a brushite seed onto which hetergeneous nucleation of calcium oxalate can take place.