O. Formigenes Colonization in Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone Disease

Description

In this study the investigators propose to measure the excretion of urinary oxalate on a fixed diet with controlled amounts of oxalate, before and after inducing colonization with the gut bacteria Oxalobacter formigenes in individuals with a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones not already colonized with Oxalobacter formigenes.

Screening and Pre-colonization phase. Between the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), the study will enroll 40 individuals with a history of idiopathic calcium oxalate kidney (20 males/20 females). Screening will include stool colonization testing, blood complete metabolic profile, 24-hr urine specimens collected at home on self-selected diets and anthropometric measurements.

Participants will ingest a low-oxalate (<60 mg/day) fixed diet for 4 consecutive days and collect two 24-hr urines and a stool sample after 2 days of dietary equilibration, as well as one fasted blood sample on the last morning.

After a wash-out period of at least 1 week, participants will ingest a moderately high-oxalate (250-300 mg/day) fixed diet for 4 consecutive days and collect two 24-hr urines and a stool sample after 2 days of dietary equilibration, as well as one fasted blood sample on the last morning.

Colonization and Post-colonization phase. Participants will be colonized with Oxalobacter formigenes by ingesting a freshly thawed paste of live bacterial preparation of O. formigenes. They will collect a stool sample 1 week later to assess if colonization occured.

After confirmation of successful colonization, participants will ingest a low-oxalate (<60 mg/day) fixed diet for 4 consecutive days and collect two 24-hr urines and a stool sample after 2 days of dietary equilibration, as well as one fasted blood sample on the last morning.

After a wash-out period of at least 1 week, participants will ingest a moderately high-oxalate (250-300 mg/day) fixed diet for 4 consecutive days and collect two 24-hr urines and a stool sample after 2 days of dietary equilibration, as well as one fasted blood sample on the last morning.

Follow-up phase Participants will be followed up every 6 months to assess sustainability of colonization, provide a stool sample and answer a simple questionnaire. A 24-hr urine collection will be requested once a year after colonization, on the same moderately high oxalate diet diet after 2 days of dietary equilibration.