FECAL BILE-ACID EXCRETION DURING DETOXIFICATION IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOL-ABUSE

Background: We wanted to ascertain whether alcohol abuse is associated with a changed faecal bile acid excretion. Methods: Faecal bile acid excretion was studied in seven chronic alcoholic subjects when admitte d to hospital for detoxification. Bile acids in faeces and serum were quantified by gas-liquid chromatography and identified by mass spectro metry. Results: Daily faecal bile acid excretion was on average 948 mu mol in the patients at admission, compared with 400 mu mol in eight h ealthy controls (P < 0.01). The daily faecal bile acid excretion decre ased slowly during the detoxification period but was still higher in t he patients than in controls after 9 days of detoxification (P < 0.05) . Faecal bile acid excretion varied greatly between the different pati ents, with poor correlation to diarrhoea. In one patient the faecal bi le acid excretion was remarkably high, amounting to an average of 6800 mu mol day(-1) during the first 3 days. The percentage metabolites of total faecal bile acids in the patients did not differ significantly from that of controls. The faecal wet weight was higher in the patient s than in the controls, although significantly so only after the first 3 days of detoxification. Conclusions: Faecal bile acid excretion is increased after alcohol abuse. A gradual decrease in faecal bile acid excretion was observed during the 9-day observation period when the su bjects abstained from alcohol.