BILE-ACID METABOLISM IN BENIGN RECURRENT INTRA-HEPATIC CHOLESTASIS - COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON THE ICTERIC AND ANICTERIC PHASES OF A SINGLE CASE

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 76  (5) , 1002-1006
Abstract
Bile acid compositions in the serum, urine, bile and feces were examined in a typical case of benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis for a period of 3 yr. The serum cholesterol level remained also constant. The serum and urinary levels of total bile acids increased markedly during the icteric phase but returned to normal toward the anicteric phase. Daily fecal excretion of bile acids in the anicteric phase was about 3 times the normal value. Bile acids in the bile and feces and in the serum and urine mainly consisted of chenodeoxycholic and cholic acids, with little deoxycholic acid even in the anicteric phase. Scarcely any coprostanol was found in the feces. Metabolism by intestinal bacteria was altered in this patient. The ratio of cholic acid/chenodeoxycholic acid in the serum was above 2.0 in the icteric phase but was reduced to 0.9 in the anicteric phase. At least 3 unusual bile acids, designated as peak 7a, 11 and 13, were detected in the feces. The amount of bile acid in peak 7a reached about 10% of the total in the anicteric phase.