Quantification of individual serum bile acids in patients with liver diseases using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with a column of immobilized 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 15 bile acids, i.e., cholate, chenodeoxycholate, deoxycholate, lithocholate, ursodeoxycholate, and their five taurine conjugates and five glycine conjugates, were clearly separated and quantified in 38 patients with various hepatobiliary diseases and 9 normal controls. The serum levels of bile acids, both primary and total, were elevated in patients with liver disease, but did not differentiate between parenchymal disease and cholestasis. The ratio of cholate/chenodeoxycholate was significantly increased in cholestasis as compared with parenchymal liver injury. In primary biliary cirrhosis, the ratio of total glycine/taurine conjugates was decreased, with a marked increase of taurochenodeoxycholate. The bile acid pattern was distinctly different between extrahepatic cholestasis and primary biliary cirrhosis, which mainly reflects intrahepatic cholestasis. In acute hepatitis, there was a quick normalization of major taurine and glycine conjugates in the convalescent stage. Most of the major taurine and glycine conjugated bile salts were significantly elevated in cirrhosis, and the elevation of taurochenodeoxycholate was particularly marked in the decompensated state. Furthermore, the quantitative relationship between taurocholate and taurochenodeoxycholate in cirrhosis was reversed from that in acute hepatitis. These changes in absolute and relative concentrations of bile acids in various liver diseases perhaps reflect differing pathology and metabolism, and may prove diagnostic. Measurement of individual bile salts is easily and quickly done with this method, and may lend itself clinical application.