Lithocholic Acid in Human-Blood Serum

Abstract

Lithocholic acid was present in the serum of three patients with, jaundice and, in smaller amounts, in two healthy adults. This bile acid occurs naturally in human feces but induces cirrhosis of the liver when fed to a wide variety of experimental animals. The finding of lithocholic acid in blood is of interest because of its possible role in injuring human liver.

Anemia with spur cells: a red cell defect acquired in serum and modified in the circulation

“…Serum bile salt concentrations were also elevated in the patients with spur cells, the total levels exceeding those usually seen in obstructive jaundice (23,26,44). As noted previously (44), the elevation of serum bile salts in patients with obstructive jaundice consists primarily of cholic acid, while patients with hepatocellular disease accumulate chenodeoxycholic acid and its toxic degradation product, lithocholic acid (30). The patients reported here with spur cells had striking elevations of chenodeoxycholic acid and easily measurable levels of lithocholic acid (Table III).…”

“…Bile salt concentrations were markedly elevated in the sera of all three patients and consisted primarily of chenodeoxycholic acid (Table III). Lithocholic acid, normally undetectable in serum or present in very small amounts (30), was readily detected in all three patients.…”

Primary and Secondary Bile Acids in Meconium

“…Using gas liquid chromatographic techniques, Sandberg et al [21] found the normal serum levels of chenodeoxycholic acid higher than those of cholic acid, plus the presence of a significant quantity of deoxycholic acid. Carey [6] also found minute quantities of lithocholic acid in normal serum but did not study serum from pregnant women. The bile acids in serum, including deoxycholic acid, found during dif- ferent times of pregnancy did not differ from those found in the nonpregnant state [26].…”

“…Feeding lithocholate (a secondary bile acid) to animals causes hepatocellular and bile duct alterations which progress to cirrhosis [12,18,28]. Abnormally high lithocholate levels in serum have been found in humans with cirrhosis [6]. When these levels are lowered by cholestyramine or neomycin therapy, an improvement is noted in liver function [7].…”

Bile Acid Concentrations in Serum during Infancy and Childhood

“…An elevated C/CD ratio (> 1.0) is evidence in favor of some degree of excretory impairment, while a low C/CD ratio (< 1.0) suggests hepatocellular disease, and when very low is usually associated with impending death [2]. Occasionally, patients have L in serum and this also indicates incomplete obstruction [4,19].…”