ArticlePloS one2014
Sulfate but not thiosulfate reduces calculated and measured urinary ionized calcium and supersaturation: implications for the treatment of calcium renal stones.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Machine learning-driven multi-omics integration of urinary organic acids and ions enables precision risk stratification for calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Environmental determinants in the development of kidney stone.Urolithiasis · 2025Review
- Cefazolin shifts the kidney microbiota to promote a lithogenic environment.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Variation in Tap Water Mineral Content in the United Kingdom: Is It Relevant for Kidney Stone Disease?Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Is sodium thiosulfate an effective treatment for recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis? Pro and con arguments.International urology and nephrology · 2018Article
- Sulfate and thiosulfate inhibit oxalate transport via a dPrestin (Slc26a6)-dependent mechanism in an insect model of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis.American journal of physiology. Renal physiology · 2016Article
- The elementome of calcium-based urinary stones and its role in urolithiasis.Nature reviews. Urology · 2015Review
- Elemental Content of Calcium Oxalate Stones from a Canine Model of Urinary Stone Disease.PloS one · 2015Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundUrinary sulfate (SO4(2-)) and thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)) can potentially bind with calcium and decrease kidney stone risk. We modeled the effects of these species on the concentration of ionized calcium (iCa) and on supersaturation (SS) of calcium oxalate (CaOx) and calcium phosphate (CaP), and measured their in vitro effects on iCa and the upper limit of stability (ULM) of these salts.
methodsUrine data from 4 different types of stone patients were obtained from the Mayo Nephrology Clinic (Model 1). A second data set was obtained from healthy controls and hypercalciuric stone formers in the literature who had been treated with sodium thiosulfate (STS) (Model 2). The Joint Expert Speciation System (JESS) was used to calculate iCa and SS. In Model 1, these parameters were calculated as a function of sulfate and thiosulfate concentrations. In Model 2, data from pre- and post STS urines were analyzed. ULM and iCa were determined in human urine as a function of sulfate and thiosulfate concentrations.
resultsCalculated iCa and SS values for all calcium salts decreased with increasing sulfate concentration. Thiosulfate had no effect on these parameters. In Model 2, calculated iCa and CaOx SS increased after STS treatment, but CaP SS decreased, perhaps due to a decrease in pH after STS treatment. In confirmatory in vitro experiments supplemental sulfate, but not thiosulfate, significantly increased the calcium needed to achieve the ULM of CaP and tended to increase the oxalate needed to reach the ULM of CaOx. Sulfate also significantly decreased iCa in human urine, while thiosulfate had no effect.
conclusionIncreasing urinary sulfate could theoretically reduce CaOx and CaP stone risk. Although STS may reduce CaP stone risk by decreasing urinary pH, it might also paradoxically increase iCa and CaOx SS. As such, STS may not be a viable treatment option for stone disease.
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