Measurement Of Serum Bile Acids Research Articles

Fasting and postprandial serum bile acids as a screening test for hepatocellular disease.

Postprandial serum bile acid estimation was recently proposed as the most sensitive test of liver function. In our study, the fasting and postpranidal serum bile acid measurements were performed on 19 normal subjects, 20 patients with cirrhosis, 10 with acute hepatitis, 4 with resolving viral hepatitis, and 6 with chronic active hepatitis. A gas-chromatographic method was used. One healthy subject had postprandial serum bile acid levels above the normal range, while 7 patients with liver disease had postprandial levels within normal limits. Of the latter group, 2 had chronic active hepatitis in remission and 3 had resolving viral hepatitis. Significant correlations were seen between serum bile acid levels and most of the conventional "liver function" tests. Our data indicate that the postprandial serum bile acid determination is better than any of the other conventional tests taken separately, but no better than their combined use. No significant modification of the cholic acid/chenodeoxycholic acid ratio was observed between the fasting and the postprandial determinations.

A critical evaluation of a procedure for measurement of serum bile acids by radioimmunoassay

A radioimmunoassay for the quantitative determination of cholic acid conjugates has been developed. Antisera were raised in rabbits injected with cholylglycine coupled by amide linkage to bovine serum albumin. The antibodies reported in this communication were not found to be mono-specific in the strictest sense. This assay is relatively simple, rapid, sensitive, reliable, and most importantly, specific for bile acids; the specificity of each antibody, however, must be thoroughly characterized at the dilution in routine use. The range of normal values for cholic acid conjugates in serum was found to be 0.1–1.6 μmol/l (mean: 0.62, ± S.D.: 0.4).

Serum Bile Acids in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Fasting serum bile acid levels were measured by gas-liquid chromatography in 56 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Of these, 52 (93%) had increased levels (greater than 2mug/ml), including 14 of the 18 with normal serum bilirubin concentrations. The four patients with normal bile acid levels had early lesions as judged by histological and clinical criteria. With progression of the disease, as indicated by the histological features of the lesions, total bile acid levels increased, and the ratio of serum cholic-to-chenodeoxycholic acid decreased. Ratios of serum cholic-to-chenodeoxycholic acid below 1 occurred predominantly in patients with advanced or terminal disease. These studies suggest that serial measurement of serum bile acids may aid in the evaluation of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Urogynecology: Introducing this Subspeciality for Managing Female Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Nepal

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njog.v5i1.5051 NJOG 2010 Jul-Aug; 5(1): 1-2