The Medical Journal of Basrah University

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out to evaluate the clinical usefulness of measuring total serum bile acids concentrations as a diagnostic test for hepatobiliary diseases. It is measured by an enzymatic method under fasting conditions in 120 apparently healthy control subjects and 140(79 (56.43%) males and 61(43.57%) females) patients with various forms of hepatobiliary diseases. The patient's diagnoses were based on clinical, biochemical, radiological, serological and histological grounds. The study showed a highly significant increase in total serum bile acids levels in all types of liver disease patients groups (icteric and anicteric) (P<0.001), even when other liver tests are normal. There were no significant differences (P> 0.05) in the serum levels of total bile acids in patients groups according to their gender and residence. The highest incidences of hepatobiliary diseases were in males and urban patients groups as compared with females and rural patients groups respectively. The study has illustrated moderate correlations between the concentrations of total bile acids with those for any the other liver function tests. Highly significant, positive and moderate correlations were observed with total bilirubin concentration (r = 0.659, P < 0.01). On the other hand serum total bile acids were negatively correlated with serum albumin (r = - 0.104).