Biliary Lipid Composition in Obesity

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Abstract
Fasting gallbladder bile was obtained under standardized conditions from 15 gallstone-free obese subjects (> 130% of ideal weight) and 23 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex, and serum lipid levels. The proportion of cholesterol, expressed as molar percentage of total biliary lipids, was increased in obesity (10.8 ± 0.6 versus 6.8 ± 0.4 M% (mean ± S.E.M.), P < 0.001), whereas that of bile acids was decreased (64.7 ± 1.3 versus 71.0 ± 1.0 M %, P < 0.001). The cholesterol saturation of bile was higher in obesity (141 ± 7%) than in controls (96 ± 5%, P < 0.001). The results provide an explanation of the enhanced frequency of cholesterol gallstones in obese subjects.