[Serum concentration of bile acids in the diagnosis of chronic liver disease and in the functional staging].

The serum values of the total biliary acids were dosed through the enzymatic-colorimetric method in 15 dyspeptic persons with no hepatic disease (control-group) and in 52 patients with chronic hepatic disease of alcoholic etiology, subdivided according to the Child-Pugh functional classification (Child A = 17; Child B = 18, and C = 17) or according to the clinic exam in one compensated group (n = 22) and in one decompensated group (n = 30). The serum dosages of the biliary acids, particularly the posprandial ones, presented high discriminative power in the detection of chronic hepatopathy, separating the control-group from any of the other groups of alcoholic patients with chronic hepatopathy. The dosages also presented significant correlation with the biochemical tests more directly related to the hepatocellular function, as albumin, total bilirubin and the activity of prothrombin, besides the Child-Pugh numeric score classification. Nevertheless, when the cirrhotic patients were separated in accordance with the clinical presentation, the serum dosage of the biliary acids presented inferior discriminative capacity in relation to the conventional exams as the Child-Pugh numeric classification and the time of prothrombin. Therefore, demonstrating to have limited value in the functional evaluation and in the evolutional following-up of the alcoholic chronic hepatopathy.