This work was supported in part by research grants DK101793,DK114516 and DK106249,and AA025737(to D.Q.-H.Wang),as well as P30 DK020541(to Marion Bessin Liver Research Center),all from the National Institutes of Health(United States Public Health Service).
The terms biliary sludge and cholesterol microlithiasis(hereafter referred to as microlithiasis)were originated from different diagnostic techniques and may represent different stages of cholesterol gall-stone disease...