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Plasma bile acid levels and liver disease
Acta Medica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
|January 1, 1981
Summary
Measuring plasma bile acids, including cholic acid and chenodesoxycholic acid, can help diagnose liver and biliary diseases. Post-meal measurements are more informative for detecting cholestasis.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Bile acids are crucial for digestion and are indicators of liver and biliary tract health.
- Assessing plasma bile acid levels may offer diagnostic insights into hepatobiliary disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of plasma cholic acid, chenodesoxycholic acid, and desoxycholic acid levels.
- To compare fasting and postprandial bile acid concentrations in patients with liver and biliary disease versus healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Spectrofluorometric analysis of plasma bile acid concentrations.
- Study included 153 subjects: 67 controls and 86 patients with hepatobiliary or intestinal disease.
- Fasting and postprandial (1-2 hours after meals) plasma samples were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Fasting plasma bile acid levels showed limited diagnostic value compared to conventional assays.
- Plasma bile acid concentrations > 2.5 μmol/l were indicative of liver or biliary disease.
- Postprandial estimation of bile acids, particularly the cholic acid/chenodesoxycholic acid ratio, proved more informative for diagnosing cholestasis.
Conclusions:
- Elevated plasma bile acid levels (> 2.5 μmol/l) are diagnostic for liver or biliary disease.
- A cholic acid/chenodesoxycholic acid quotient > 1.0, especially after meals, signifies cholestasis.
- Postprandial bile acid analysis, particularly the ratio, is a valuable tool for diagnosing cholestasis, most pronounced in primary biliary cirrhosis.