title: Faecal bile-acids and clostridia in patients with cancer of the large bowel.
abstract: Of 44  patients with cancer of the large bowel, 36 ( 82%) had high faecal bile-acid concentrations compared with only 15 (17%) out of 90 patients with other diseases. 31 (70%) of the 44 patients with large-bowel cancer had high faecal bile-acid concentrations in the presence of faecal clostridia able to dehydrogenate the bile-acid nucleus, compared with only 8 (9%) out of 90 patients with other diseases. Thes findings support the hypothesis that cancer of the large bowel is caused by high concentrations of bile-acid derivatives produced by certain anaerobic bacteria.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001824:Body Constitution; D002273:Carcinogens; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012907:Smoking; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002273:Carcinogens; D013256:Steroids