Bile Acids, Total, Serum
Use
The Bile Acids, Total, Serum test is useful for evaluating liver function by measuring serum bile acid levels. Elevated fasting bile acid levels are indicators of liver disease due to impaired hepatic clearance. Postprandial serum bile acid levels see a significant increase in patients with liver diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, cholestasis, and other conditions. The test aids in recognizing hepatic dysfunction arising from chemical or environmental injuries and serves as an indicator for hepatic histological improvement in chronic hepatitis C patients responding to interferon treatment. It is also an indicator for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
Special Instructions
Fasting for 12 hours is required for the test, although fasting is not necessary for infants and pregnant patients. Specimen collection must ensure serum is separated promptly by centrifuging serum gel tubes or red-top tubes and aliquoting into a plastic vial within 2 hours of collection. This test is not suitable for differentiating among various types of liver diseases and should be part of comprehensive assessments including medical history and liver function tests.
Limitations
The total bile acid concentration can increase after meals; hence, fasting conditions are crucial for accuracy. The testing may not discriminate between different liver disease types, as increased serum bile acid levels are common across multiple conditions such as acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver sclerosis, and liver cancer. Therefore, results should be interpreted with consideration of clinical context and alongside other diagnostic evaluations.
FDA ApprovedNew York Approved
Methodology
Automated Analyzer (Clinical Chemistry)
Biomarkers
LOINC Codes
- 14628-2
- 14628-2
Result Turnaround Time
1-2 days
Related Documents
For more information, please review the documents below
Specimen
Serum
Volume
0.5 mL
Minimum Volume
0.25 mL
Container
Serum gel (preferred) / Red top (acceptable); Submission in plastic vial
Collection Instructions
Centrifuge serum gel tubes within 2 hours of collection. For red-top tubes, centrifuge and aliquot serum into plastic vial within 2 hours of collection.
Patient Preparation
Fasting: 12 hours, required; Infants and pregnant patients do not need to fast.
Causes for Rejection
Gross hemolysis; Gross icterus
Stability Requirements
| Temperature | Period |
|---|---|
| Room Temperature | 24 hours |
| Refrigerated | 7 days |
| Frozen | 30 days |