Epitaxial Relationships between Cholesterol Crystals and Mineral Phases: Implication for Human Disease

Abstract

Human gallstones and atherosclerotic plaques are heterogeneous materials that consist of a variety of components, including crystalline cholesterol and assorted mineral phases. EpiCalc, a modeling algorithm that uses a simple geometric lattice matching protocol, was used as a screening tool to identify those surfaces of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate that could potentially serve as epitaxial substrates for the nucleation and growth of anhydrous cholesterol (Ch) and cholesterol monohydrate (ChM) crystals. A surprisingly large number of coincident epitaxial relationships were identified, with the best match found between calcite (101̄4) and ChM (001).