Response to an Oral Calcium Load in Stone Formers, Their Spouses and First Degree Blood Relatives

Hypercalciuria has long been considered a common abnormality in many calcium stone formers. A familial pattern of renal stone disease1, 2 with a polygenic form of inheritance has been reported3. However, the question as to whether the genetic pattern or the environment (dietary habits, etc) play the major role in calcium oxalate urolithiasis is still controversial2, 4. In the present study, the response to an oral calcium load in stone formers, their spouses and first degree blood relatives was studied to explore the importance of genetic and environmental factors.