Hi Mahesh,
You have asked for citations to studies in support of claims others are
making, yet you have offered none.

Your perspective is a common one, yet the evidence does not support it.

Disturbances to calcium metabolism, including the most common kidney stones
composed of calcium oxalate, are often found in celiac disease (1). Surely
you would not argue that these folks are suffering from excessive products
of protein digestion! In fact, Kumar et al. and others have shown that
endomysium antibodies cross-react with the parathyroid gland (2,3), which
regulates calcium metabolism.

Less commonly, kidney stones may variously be comprised of uric acid,
calcium phosphate, or combinations of all three. (Here is where we get back
to your earlier comments ph level in the blood.) Tortora & Grabowski tell
us that abnormally alkaline or acidic urine, or an overactive parathyroid
gland  will cause formation  of salt crystals into renal calculi (kidney
stones) in the urinary tract (4).

The kidneys appear to have more work to do to conserve the proteins and
peptides and return them to the blood, but that does not mean that this
will lead to kidney stones. Pronouncements such as yours ignore the
possibility that in their conservation function, the kidneys may be a
gathering place for foreign peptides and proteins (gluten and dairy being
the most common sources) which might lead to increased antibody attack at
such areas of concentration..... in other words that gluten and dairy
consumption *may* be a significant factor in some kidney disease, including
stones. A low carb diet might therfore, as Todd *suggested*, improve kidney
health.

I don't wish to be combative, but if you insist upon having others provide
citations, you really should rise to the same standard.

best wishes,
Ron Hoggan

1. Dharmsathaphorn K, et al. Increased risk of nephrolithiasis in patients
with steatorrhea. Dig Dis Sci. 1982 May; 27(5): 401-405.

2. Armbrecht HJ, et al. Induction of the vitamin D 24-hydroxylase (CYP24)
by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is regulated by parathyroid hormone in UMR106
osteoblastic cells. Endocrinology. 1998 Aug; 139(8): 3375-3381.

3.  Kumar V, et al.  Celiac disease and hypoparathyroidism: cross-reaction
of endomysial antibodies with parathyroid tissue. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol.
1996 Mar; 3(2): 143-146.

4. Tortora & Grabowski _Principles of Anatomy and Physiology_   Harper
Collins, NY, 1996 page 880.




> Sun, 6 Sep 1998 02:43:19 -0500 you wrote:
>
>Hello!
>
>Those who consume high levels of protein have a 33% higher chance of
>developing kidney stones. THe incidence of kidney stones is on the rise in
>the US.
>
>Mahesh aka ElectronicBoy