Therapeutic reflections in cholesterol homeostasis and gallstone disease: a review.

Cholesterol gallstone disease is one of the most prevalent and the most costly digestive diseases in Western countries. Its pathogenesis is a complex paradigm resulting from the interaction of genetic factors, hepatic hypersecretion of cholesterol, increased intestinal absorption of cholesterol, a constantly "supersaturated" bile, crystallization of biliary cholesterol, and gallbladder stasis. De novo cholesterol biosynthesis, biliary cholesterol output, and intestinal cholesterol absorption are therefore key steps involved in cholesterol homeostasis.