Ascitic bile acids of 8 patients with liver cirrhosis were analyzed in order to elucidate the clinical significance.
The results were as follows.
1) Ascitic bile acid concentrations in intractable ascites were high, although low in tractable ascites.
2) Among the 8 patients, 4 had serum bile acid analysis performed and a significant correlation of bile acid concentration was found between ascites and serum (P<0.01).
3) Ascitic bile acid concentration was positively correlative with ascitic protein concentration (P(0.05).
4) In one patient whose group separation on Piperidinohydroxypropyl Sephadex LH-20 was determined, free bile acids were found to predominate the major part of the ascitic bile acids.
These results suggest that ascitic bile acids reflect serum bile acids, and that bile acids with protein are filtered into ascitic fluid. Further patient studies will be necessary to shed light on the relationship between intractability of ascites and high ascitic bile acid concentrations.