Features of the structure of urinary stones in residents of industrially developed regions suffering from oxalate urolithiasis

Abstract

Minerals of biogenic origin are integral elements of the structure of many living organisms. Along with genetically physiogenic minerals, pathogenic biominerals are also common. These include, in particular, urinary stones — uroliths, which are formed as a result of the development of urolithiasis. Urolithiasis is called the "disease of civilization" for a reason. According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of this disease has increased 1.5 times over the past 12 years. It affects one person in a hundred in the world. For many centuries, information about the symptoms of the disease and methods of its treatment has been accumulated, many issues of mineralogy, in particular, the ontogeny of uroliths, remain insufficiently studied. Today, the ontogeny of minerals is a developed branch of genetic mineralogy. The available information makes it possible to reconstruct the conditions of their genesis and growth based on the external shape and features of the internal structure of minerals and mineral aggregates. The rich experience of researching inorganic compounds can and should be effectively used in biology and medicine to highlight possible mechanisms of biomineralization in processes of pathogenic origin based on their geological analogues.