[Serum bile acids in cirrhosis: correlation with liver function parameters and with the severity of the disease]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the relationships among the increase of serum bile acids (SBA) and other common liver function tests in subjects with liver cirrhosis. Our results show that SBA levels are well-correlated with the seriousness of the disease (classified according to Child's criteria), and with the presence of ascites, of oesophageal varices, of hepatic encephalopathy and with the gamma-globulin level. SBA also appear to be well-correlated with total bilirubinemia, and, at a lower extent, with cholesterolemia and albuminemia; no significant linear correlation was found among SBA and cholestasis (alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase) or cytolysis (transaminases) indexes. In conclusion, the SBA increase in liver cirrhosis without evidence of cholestasis (as in our patients) seems to be related to liver cell reuptake disturbances and to the presence of porto-systemic shunts, with consequent alterations in entero-hepatic bile salt recirculation.