Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 27, 1154-1162, Copyright © 1986 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Identification of unconjugated bile acids in human bile
N Matoba, M Une and T Hoshita
Unconjugated bile acids in the bile of healthy and diseased humans were
determined qualitatively and quantitatively by means of gas-liquid
chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, after their
isolation by ion-exchange chromatography. In a healthy person and three
patients with cholelithiasis, unconjugated bile acids comprised 0.1-0.4% of
total biliary bile acids. The bile acid composition of the unconjugated
fraction was quite different from that of the glycine- or taurine-conjugate
fraction, in that it contained a relatively large proportion of unusual
bile acids including C23 and C27 bile acids. In two patients with
cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, C22 and C23 bile acids were the major
constituents of the biliary unconjugated bile acids, and comprised about
0.8% of total bile acids; no detectable amounts of C27 bile acids were
found in their bile. The analysis of biliary unconjugated bile acids may be
useful for the diagnosis of metabolic diseases concerning bile acids,
particularly the accumulation or disappearance of unusual bile acids.