by Choi Kim Ming, Arthur. / Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-91). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.i / CONTENTS --- p.ii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / SUMMARY --- p.viii / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- Brief Review on Nephrolithiasis --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Mechanism of nephrolithiasis --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Biochemical states leading to nephrolithiasis --- p.8 / Chapter 2.3 --- Inhibitors of nephrolithiasis --- p.10 / Chapter 3. --- Biochemistry of Citrate --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1 --- Basic aspects --- p.13 / Chapter 3.2 --- The role of kidney in citrate metabolism --- p.14 / Chapter 3.3 --- The role of kidney in citrate excretion --- p.17 / Chapter 3.4 --- Altered urinary citrate excretion --- p.18 / Chapter 4. --- Hypocitraturia as a Risk Factor of Nephrolithiasis --- p.21 / Chapter 4.1 --- Experimental and clinical evidence on the role of citrate as a stone inhibitor --- p.21 / Chapter 4.2 --- Mechanism of the inhibitory activity of citrate against nephrolithiasis --- p.22 / Chapter 4.3 --- Clinical conditions associated with hypocitraturiain nephrolithiasis --- p.22 / Chapter 5. --- Analytical Methods for Urinary Citrate Assays --- p.27 / Chapter 5.1 --- Enzyme-spectrophotometric methods --- p.27 / Chapter 5.2 --- High performance ion chromatography --- p.30 / Chapter 5.3 --- Capillary electrophoresis and indirect ultraviolet absorbance detection --- p.31 / Chapter 5.4 --- Comparison on the analytical methods --- p.32 / Chapter 6. --- Quantitation of Urinary Citrate --- p.35 / Chapter 6.1 --- Principle of the assay --- p.35 / Chapter 6.2 --- Instrumentation --- p.35 / Chapter 6.3 --- Preparation of reagents and standards --- p.37 / Chapter 6.4 --- Specimen collection & storage --- p.41 / Chapter 6.5 --- Sample preparation --- p.42 / Chapter 6.6 --- Assay protocol for urinary citrate --- p.43 / Chapter 6.7 --- Factors affecting the assay performance --- p.45 / Chapter 6.8 --- Evaluation of urine citrate assay --- p.45 / Chapter 7. --- Results of Evaluation of the Urine Citrate Assay --- p.50 / Chapter 7.1 --- Calibration --- p.50 / Chapter 7.2 --- Imprecision --- p.50 / Chapter 7.3 --- Linearity --- p.53 / Chapter 7.4 --- Recovery --- p.53 / Chapter 7.5 --- Detection limit --- p.53 / Chapter 7.6 --- Carryover --- p.58 / Chapter 7.7 --- Interference studies --- p.58 / Chapter 7.8 --- Correlation study --- p.60 / Chapter 7.9 --- Discussion on the methodology --- p.63 / Chapter 8. --- Study in Control Subjects --- p.65 / Chapter 8.1 --- Subjects --- p.65 / Chapter 8.2 --- Method of evaluation --- p.65 / Chapter 8.3 --- Results of the control subjects --- p.67 / Chapter 8.4 --- Discussion --- p.67 / Chapter 9. --- Study in Chinese patients with Nephrolithiasis --- p.72 / Chapter 9.1 --- Subjects --- p.72 / Chapter 9.2 --- Method of the patients study --- p.72 / Chapter 9.3 --- Results of the patients study --- p.72 / Chapter 9.4 --- Discussion --- p.77 / Chapter 10. --- General Discussion and Suggestions for Further Studies --- p.80 / Chapter 11. --- Conclusion --- p.84 / Chapter 12. --- References --- p.85