Abstract
Measurement of 4 glycine conjugated fasting serum bile adds (μmol/1) by radioimmunoassay in 9 Infants with protracted diarrhea showed values for cholylglycine 2.81 ± 3.13 (N=0.2-0.9), chenodeoxycholylglycine 2,55 ± 4.04 (N=0.05-0.2), deoxycholylglycine 0.15 ± 0.19 (N=0.08-0.7), sulfolithocholylglycine 0.31 ± 0.24 (N=0.07-0.3). Hyperbilirubinemia was absent in all infants. Other conventional tests of hepatic function were normal or showed minimal abnormalities. Six infants had secondary monosaccharide intolerance. The raised levels of serum bile acids were not related to i.v. alimentation which was administered to 3 of the 9 infants. The raised serum bile acid values were similar to those found in other hepatic disorders characterized by cholestasis (Gastroenterology 71:919, 1976). Older children with chronic inflammatory bowel disease showed normal values for serum bile acids. These findings suggest that hepatic dysfunction is commonly present in protracted diarrhea of infancy. It is possible that endotoxins are adversely affecting hepatocyte function. The long term effects of these observations are unknown. Measurement of serum bile adds are a sensitive indicator of disturbed hepatic function.
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Lloyd-Still, J., Demers, L. & Nadler, H. SERUM BILE ACIDS IN PROTRACTED DIARRHEA OF INFANCY. Pediatr Res 11, 446 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00457
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00457