Hyperoxaluria and Bowel Disease

Abstract

Recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis is a frequent and serious complication in patients with disease or resection of the distal ileum. Hofmann et al. first noted that renal calculi formation in these patients was associated with excessive urinary excretion of oxalate.1 , 2 They suggested that failure to absorb conjugated bile salts in the distal ileum leads to increased quantities of glycine-conjugated bile salts in the colon, where bacteria can split off the glycine moiety and deaminate it to glyoxylate (the immediate precursor of oxalate). The glyoxylate might then be absorbed from the colon and serve as substrate for hepatic oxalate formation, resulting . . .