title: Metabolomic profiling of 17 bile acids in serum from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis are two cholestatic diseases characterised by hepatic accumulation of bile acids.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study compares serum bile acid levels in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis and from age and sex-matched non cholestatic donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen bile acids were quantified using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Serum samples from cholestatic patients were compared with those of non-cholestatic donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of total bile acids, taurine and glycine conjugates of primary bile acids was elevated in both patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis when compared to non-cholestatic donors. Samples from primary sclerosing cholangitis patients displayed reduced levels of secondary acids, when compared to non cholestatic and primary biliary cirrhosis sera. The ratio of total glycine versus total taurine conjugates was reduced in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, but not in primary sclerosing cholangitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that circulating bile acids are altered differentially in primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, CHUQ Research Center and the Faculty of Pharmacy, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trottier
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Białek
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Straka
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heathcote
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milkiewicz
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Barbier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000097:blood*; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D055432:Metabolomics; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D002793:Cholic Acids; D013654:Taurine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin; D005998:Glycine