Profiles of Serum Bile Acids in Liver Diseases

Cholylglycine (CG) and sulfolithocholylglycine (SLCG) in fasting and postprandial serum were determined in patients with liver diseases by radioimmunoassay. In normal controls, fasting CG and SLCG were 54.67±68.66ng/100ml and 16.61 ±12.84ng/100ml respectively, while postprandial CG and SLCG were 61.21 ±37.29ng/100ml and 21.95± 15.9ng/100ml respectively. In liver disease, serum bile acids were elevated. The greatest increase was found in acute viral hepatitis but moderate or slight increase was also found in chronic active hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatoma. Fasting bile acids seem to be a sensitive index for hepatocellular dysfunction but not for differential diagnosis of liver diseases. In liver diseases except hepatoma, fasting CG and SLCG correlated significantly with total bilirubin, albumin, GOT, GPT, and alkaline phosphatase but not with cholesterol. Insignificant elevation of bile acids was found postprandially in patients with liver diseases as well as normal controls and postprandial bile acids were not more sensitive than fasting ones.