Evaluation of fasting serum bile acid concentration in patients with liver and gastrointestinal disorders

Abstract

Fasting concentrations of S-cholate, S-chenodeoxycholate, S-aminotransferases, S-bilirubin, S-alkaline phosphatases, and S-glutamyltransferase were determined in 564 outpatients with disorders of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Unsulphated conjugates of cholic (fS-C) and chenodeoxycholic acid (fS-CDC) were determined by radioimmunoassay. In patients with increased serum bile acid concentrations fS-C and fS-CDC were linearly correlated, and the fS-C/fS-CDC ratio was similar in all patient groups. The incidence of false-positive results of fS-CDC was probably due to inadequate fasting and comparison of fS-C only with the liver tests. In 51 patients with verified cirrhosis fS-C was significantly correlated with S-bilirubin in a semilogarithmic relation but not with S-alkaline phosphatases or S-glutamyltransferase. fS-C was found to be a sensitive indicator of liver disease in the anicteric stage. Of 207 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 63 had 1 or several of the results of liver tests for cholestasis elevated. There was no correlation between the different tests. In these patients and all patients with gastrointestinal disorders the commonest single finding was an elevation of S-alkaline phosphatases not associated with cholestasis.