Measurement of serum bile alcohol levels in liver dysfunciton using isotope dilution-mass spectrometry

Abstract

We determined the concentration of two major serum bile alcohols, 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α, 24, 25-pentol and 5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α, 25, 26-pentol in healthy controls and patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis using isotope dilution-mass spectrometry.
In healthy controls, the mean value of total amounts of the two major bile alcohols was 10.3±3.7 ng/ml(mean±SD). In patients with liver diseases, the mean values were as follows: acute hepatitis, 44.8±18.2ng/ml; chronic hepatitis, 18.2±5.6ng/ml; cirrhosis in Child grade A, 37.9±26.0ng/ml, Child grade B, 42.7±22.0ng/ml, and Child grade C, 71.2±24.2ng/ml. The mean ratio of 5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α, 25, 26-pentol to 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α, 24, 25-pentol in patients with cirrhosis in Child grade C was higher than that in healthy controls (1.42±0.92 versus 0.64±0.16; p<0.079).