title: Increased serum deoxycholic acid levels in men with colorectal adenomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiological and animal studies have suggested that the secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid is cocarcinogenic in colorectal cancer, but this hypothesis was not confirmed by case-control studies investigating fecal bile acids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual serum bile acid concentrations were investigated in 25 men and 25 women with colorectal adenomas and in an equal number of age- and sex-matched controls by gas-liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Deoxycholic acid levels were significantly higher in the sera of men with colorectal adenomas (1.70 +/- 0.59 vs. 1.16 +/- 0.39 mumol/L, P < 0.0005) and in a combined analysis of both sexes (1.47 +/- 0.78 vs. 1.08 +/- 0.39 mumol/L, P < 0.0025). Six- and 12-month follow-up measurements of deoxycholic acid concentrations in a subgroup of 22 men and 17 women showed higher serum levels in men with adenomas, indicating that measurement of deoxycholic acid concentration may be a reliable parameter to investigate its pathogenetic role in colonic neoplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data of this study support the hypothesis that deoxycholic acid may play a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department II, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bayerdörffer
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mannes
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochsenkühn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiebecke
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Köpcke
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paumgartner
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid