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Cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid concentrations in serum during infancy and childhood
Insights
Infant serum shows significantly higher primary bile acids (cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids) than adults, indicating immature liver function in early life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hepatology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Bile acids are crucial for digestion and absorption.
- Understanding bile acid metabolism in infants is key to pediatric health.
- Developmental changes in bile acid homeostasis are not fully elucidated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify primary bile acid concentrations in infants and children.
- To compare pediatric bile acid levels with adult and umbilical cord serum.
- To investigate developmental changes in bile acid metabolism and excretion.
Main Methods:
- Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to measure serum concentrations.
- Cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid levels were analyzed.
- Samples were collected from infants (1 hour to 15 years), umbilical cords, and adults.
Main Results:
- Serum primary bile acids were significantly higher in 1-hour-old infants compared to adults and umbilical cord samples.
- Elevated levels persisted for the first 6 months, approximately 5-fold higher than adult levels.
- Adult bile acid concentrations were reached by 1-2 years of age.
Conclusions:
- Significant developmental changes occur in human bile acid metabolism and excretion.
- Immature hepatic excretion and/or clearance of bile salts are suggested in infants up to 6 months.
- These findings highlight a critical window of altered bile acid homeostasis in early infancy.
Abstract:
Concentrations of two primary bile acids (cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids) were determined by radioimmunoassay in the serum of infants and children at ages ranging from 1 hour to 15 years. The same bile acids were also measured in umbilical cord serum. Concentrations of the primary bile acids were significantly higher in the serum of 1-hour old infants than those in the umbilical cord serum or the peripheral vein serum of adults. The levels of cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid remained high until the age of 6 months, being about 5-fold higher than those in the sera of adults. Primary bile acid concentrations reached the adult level by the age of 1-2 years. These results indicate that developmental changes occur in the metabolism and excretion of bile acids in man. The relatively high concentrations of the primary bile acids in serum during the first 6 months of life suggest that up to this age, the mature ability of the liver to excrete the bile salts into the bile and/or to clear them from the circulation has not yet been reached.