From lipid secretion to cholesterol crystallization in bile. Relevance in cholesterol gallstone disease

Failure of cholesterol homeostasis in the body can lead to cholesterol gallstone disease, the most common and costly gastrointestinal disease. The primum movens in cholesterol gallstone formation is the hypersecretion of hepatic cholesterol; this condition leads to bile chronically surpersaturated w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Piero Portincasa, MD, PhD, Antonio Moschetta, Giuseppe Palasciano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2002-07-01
Series:Annals of Hepatology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119321702
Description
Summary:Failure of cholesterol homeostasis in the body can lead to cholesterol gallstone disease, the most common and costly gastrointestinal disease. The primum movens in cholesterol gallstone formation is the hypersecretion of hepatic cholesterol; this condition leads to bile chronically surpersaturated with cholesterol which is prone to rapid precipitation as cholesterol crystals in the gallbladder. Essential topics reviewed here deal with pathways of biliary lipid secretion, cholesterol solubilization and crystallization in bile, according to recent advances. Main in vivo events in cholesterol gallstone disease are also described.
ISSN:1665-2681