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Studies on the conjugating activity of bile acids in children
Insights
Serum bile acid levels in children decrease with age, with distinct patterns in infants compared to adults. Key changes include shifts in conjugated bile acid ratios and primary to secondary bile acid concentrations during early development.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Bile acids are crucial for digestion and metabolism.
- Understanding pediatric bile acid profiles is vital for assessing liver function and metabolic health.
- Serum bile acid patterns undergo significant changes from infancy to adulthood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the developmental changes in unconjugated and conjugated bile acid levels in children.
- To compare serum bile acid profiles in neonates, infants, and adults.
- To identify age-dependent shifts in specific bile acid ratios.
Main Methods:
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify bile acids in serum.
- Serum samples were analyzed from 98 normal children and 9 normal adults.
- Measurements included total, unconjugated, and conjugated bile acids, as well as specific bile acid ratios.
Main Results:
- Total bile acid levels were highest in neonates (0-4 wk) and decreased with age.
- The ratio of conjugated to total bile acids was >90% in infants under 1 year, decreasing with age.
- Neonatal cholic acid to chenodeoxycholic acid ratio was high, decreasing to adult levels by 3 months.
- Glycine-conjugated to taurine-conjugated bile acid ratio was higher in neonates than in the first month.
- Secondary to primary bile acid ratios were lower in infants (<1 yr).
- Glycocholic acid predominated in neonates, shifting to glycochenodeoxycholic acid by 1-3 months.
Conclusions:
- Serum bile acid patterns exhibit distinct developmental trajectories from infancy to adulthood.
- Age-specific reference ranges for pediatric bile acid analysis are essential.
- These findings contribute to understanding pediatric cholestasis and metabolic disorders.
Abstract:
The unconjugated and conjugated bile acid levels in sera of 98 normal children and nine normal adults were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the mean total bile acid level was high, 11.0 +/- 8.7 mumol/liter (1 SD) during the neonatal period (0-4 wk) and then gradually decreased with age. The ratio of the concentration of conjugated bile acids to total bile acids in serum was as high as 90% or more in infants under 1 yr of age and slowly decreased with age. The mean ratio of cholic acid to chenodeoxycholic acid was high (1.7 +/- 1.1) during the neonatal period but decreased after 3 months to the adult level (0.4 +/- 0.2). The mean ratio of glycine conjugated bile acids to taurine conjugated bile acids was 3.0 +/- 3.1 during the neonatal period and the ratio during the 1st month of life was significantly lower than that after that period with little further change at any age. The mean ratio of the concentration of secondary bile acids to primary bile acids showed significantly lower values in infants less than 1 yr of age. The main bile acid was glycocholic acid in the neonatal period but after 1-3 months glycochenodeoxycholic acid predominated. With age, the serum bile acid pattern which was characteristic in infancy gradually approached that of adults.