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Test Code BILEA Bile Acids, Total, Serum

Useful For

An aid in the evaluation of liver function

 

Evaluation of liver function changes before the formation of more advanced clinical signs of illness such as icterus

 

An aid in the determination of hepatic dysfunction as a result of chemical and environmental injury

 

An indicator of hepatic histological improvement in chronic hepatitis C patients responding to interferon treatment

 

An indicator for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Method Name

Enzymatic

Reporting Name

Bile Acids, Total, S

Specimen Type

Serum


Ordering Guidance


This test is for evaluation of hepatobiliary dysfunction.

 

For evaluation of bowel dysfunction, order BA48F / Bile Acids, Bowel Dysfunction, 48 Hour, Feces.

For evaluation of patients treated with urso or cholate, order BAFS / Bile Acids, Fractionated and Total, Serum.

For evaluation of inborn errors of metabolism, order BAIPD / Bile Acids for Peroxisomal Disorders, Serum.



Specimen Required


Patient Preparation: Patient must be fasting for 12 hours. Infants and pregnant patients do not need to fast.

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Serum gel

Acceptable: Red top

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Serum gel tubes should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.

2. Red-top tubes should be centrifuged and serum aliquoted into plastic vial within 2 hours of collection.


Specimen Minimum Volume

0.25 mL

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type Temperature Time Special Container
Serum Refrigerated (preferred) 7 days
  Frozen  30 days
  Ambient  24 hours

Reference Values

≤10 mcmol/L

 

Reference interval applies to fasting total bile acid concentrations.

Interpretation

Total bile acids are metabolized in the liver and can serve as a marker for normal liver function.

Increases in serum bile acids are seen in patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver sclerosis, and liver cancer.

Clinical Reference

1. Sawkat Anwer M, Meyer DJ: Bile Acids in the diagnosis, pathology, and therapy of hepatobiliary diseases. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1995 March;25(2):503-517

2. Javitt NB: Diagnostic value of serum bile acids. Clin Gastroenterol. 1977;6:219-226

3. Osuga T, Mitamura K, Mashige F, et al: Evaluation of fluorimetrically estimated serum bile acid in liver disease. Clin Chim Acta. 1977;75:81-90

4. Shima T, Tada H, Morimoto M, et al: Serum total bile acid level as a sensitive indicator of hepatic histological improvement in chronic hepatitis C patients responding to interferon treatment. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2000 March;15(30):294-299

5. Lebovics E, Seif F, Kim D, et al: Pruritus in chronic hepatitis C: Association with high serum bile acids, advanced pathology, and bile duct abnormalities. Dig Dis Sci. 1997 May;42(5):1094-1099

6. Korman MG, Hofmann AF, Summerskill WHJ: Assessment of activity in chronic active liver disease. Serum bile acids compared with conventional tests and histology. NEJM 1974 June 20;290:1399-1402

7. Manzotti C, Casazza G, Stimac T, Nikolova D, Gluud C. Total serum bile acids or serum bile acid profile, or both, for the diagnosis of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Jul 5;7(7):CD012546. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012546.pub2

Day(s) Performed

Monday through Sunday

Report Available

Same day/1 to 2 days

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester

Test Classification

This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.

CPT Code Information

82239

LOINC Code Information

Test ID Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
BILEA Bile Acids, Total, S 14628-2

 

Result ID Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
BILEA Bile Acids, Total, S 14628-2

Forms

If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a Gastroenterology and Hepatology Test Request (T728) with the specimen.