Factors contributing to gallstone formation and their interaction

Abstract

Aim: to study factors contributing to gallstone formation and to elucidate their relationship. Subjects and methods. The examination of 230 patients with various hepatobiliary abnormalities used dynamic ultrasonic cholecystography, multifractional duodenal intubation, followed by a microscopic study and determination of the physicochemical properties of bile. Enzyme immunoassay was employed to measure the peripheral blood levels of gastrin, insulin, T3, T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone, cortisol, and growth hormone. Results. All the patients were found to have signs of an early (gallstone pre-formation) stage of cholelithiasis. Decreased emptying of the gallbladder and its hypotonia and altered bile physicochemical properties were ascertained to be poor predictors of possible gallstone formation. Conclusion. Correlation analysis has shown the important role of hormonal factors in the formation of lithogenic bile.

Keywords

• cholelithiasis
• bile physicochemical properties
• gallbladder
• hormones