ELISA determination of serum hyocholic acid concentrations in humans and their possible clinical significance

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hyocholic acid (HCA), a bile acid isolated from pigs, has a different structure from the predominant bile acids from humans. METHODOLOGY: We prepared an antiserum to HCA in rabbits and developed an en zyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which we used to measure serum HCA in healthy subjects and patients with a variety of gastrointestinal and no n-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 l evels were also present in patients with primary hepatoma or pancreatic can cer but not in patients with cancer of the breast, bile duct, duodenum, or stomach. CONCLUSIONS: If these results are confirmed by further study, HCA measureme nt may prove clinically useful.