ELISA determination of serum hyocholic acid concentrations in humans and their possible clinical significance.
OBJECTIVE
Hyocholic acid (HCA), a bile acid isolated from pigs, has a different structure from the predominant bile acids from humans.


METHODS
We prepared an antiserum to HCA in rabbits and developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which we used to measure serum HCA in healthy subjects and patients with a variety of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal diseases.


RESULTS
Patients with hepatic cirrhosis had a mean HCA concentration that was 120-fold greater than that in healthy subjects. Markedly elevated HCA levels were also present in patients with primary hepatoma or pancreatic cancer but not in patients with cancer of the breast, bile duct, duodenum, or stomach.


CONCLUSIONS
If these results are confirmed by further study, HCA measurement may prove clinically useful.
Kano
M
M
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daito College of Medical Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Matsumoto
M
M
Kamano
T
T
Tsurumaru
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002793:Cholic Acids; C004821:muricholic acid