Bile acids in serum and bile of patients with cholesterol gallstone

AIM:To analyze serum bile acids and biliary lipids of patients with cholesterol gallstone(CS) and explore the relationship between deoxycholic acid (DCA) and CS disease.METHODS: Analysis of bile acids in serum was done with gas-chromatography in two groups: CS group (n=151) and control group (n=256). Serum bile acids and biliary lipids were also studied in 90 matched samples.RESULTS: The serum DCA was 0.955&mgr;mol/L plus minus 0.078&mgr;mol/L in CS group, which was more than that of control group (0.696&mgr;mol/L plus minus 0.047&mgr;mol/L), P < 0.01. The ratio of DCA/chenodeoxycholic acids (CDCA) was 1.76 plus minus0.30 in CS group, about two times that in control group (0.92 plus minus 0.14). The mole percent of DCA in bile was positively related to cholesterol saturation index (CSI) (P < 0.01) and the mole percent of CDCA in bile negatively to CSI (P = 0.01). There was correlation between the mole percent of DCA, CDCA and cholic acid in bile and in serum.CONCLUSION: It is suggested that DCA is lithogenic and the increased amount of DCA or the ratio of DCA/CDCA in serum may be one of the features of cholesterol gallstone patients.