Labelled bile salt excretion and diarrhoea in coeliac disease.

Faecal excretion of labelled bile salts after intravenous injection of carboxyl 14C-cholic acid was normal or low in eleven patients with untreated coeliac disease without diarrhoea. Five other coeliac patients with evident diarrhoea had increased excretion of labelled bile salts, suggesting that bile salt malabsorption may contribute to diarrhoea in coeliac disease.