Bile salt transport in the Dubin-Johnson syndrome

Serum bile salt measurements and intravenous clearance of glycocholate were performed in a woman with Dubin-Johnson syndrome. Fasting conjugated cholate concentration was raised and prolonged intravenous clearance of sodium glycocholate revealed a secondary rise in conjugated cholate concentration after two hours. The intravenous clearance of bromsulphthalein also showed a secondary rise. These findings support the proposal that Dubin-Johnson syndrome is not homogeneous and that in some patients a abnormality of bile salt clearance coexists with an abnormality of bilirubin nd bromsulphthalein clearance.