Functional Heterogeneity of Tamm-Horsfall Glycoprotein Isolated from Urines of Normal Subjects and Idiopathic Calcium-Oxalate Stone Formers and from Human Calcium-Oxalate Kidney Stones

Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP) has been described as a promoter or inhibitor of the aggregation of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals (1). We have asked whether urinary THP from normal subjects (n THP) and idiopathic calcium oxalate stone formers (sf THP) and THP from human calcium oxalate stones (stone THP) differ in their ability to inhibit the aggregation of COM crystals in vitro, and - if such differences exist -what could be the mechanism of reduced crystal-aggregation inhibition.