The alteration of serum bile acid profile among traumatic brain injury patients: a small-scale prospective study

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition Vol. 73; no. 1; pp. 97 - 102
• Main Authors: Zhu, Yuanrun, Zheng, Peidong, Lin, Yajun, Wang, Juehan, You, Wendong, Wang, Yadong, Zheng, Huiqing, Wen, Liang, Yang, Xiaofeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan SOCIETY FOR FREE RADICAL RESEARCH JAPAN 2023; Japan Science and Technology Agency; the Society for Free Radical Research Japan
• Subjects: Acids; Bile; bile acid; Bile acids; Brain; brain-gut axis; Gut-brain axis; Head injuries; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometers; Metabolism; Morbidity; nutrition for neurological disease; Original; prospective study; Taurocholic acid; Traumatic brain injury; Ursodeoxycholic acid; nutrition for neurological disease; traumatic brain injury; brain-gut axis; bile acid; prospective study
• ISSN: 0912-0009; 1880-5086
• DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.23-10

Traumatic brain injury is one of the major causes of morbidity and ‍mortality worldwide. With the development of bile acids as a ‍potential treatment, to identify the influence of traumatic brain ‍injury on bile acid metabolism shows growing importance. This present study did a preliminary exploration of the bile acid ‍profile alteration among traumatic brain injury patients. In total, 14 patients and 7 healthy volunteers were enrolled. The bile ‍acid profile of the blood samples were detected by an Ultra-‍performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometer/Mass Spectrometer system. It was found that 6 bile acids were statistically decreased in traumatic brain injury patients comparing with healthy volunteers: glycocholic acid (median level 44.4 ng/ml vs 98.7 ng/ml, p = 0.003), taurocholic acid (median level 10.9 ng/ml vs 19.5 ng/ml, p = 0.006), glycoursodeoxycholic acid (median level 17.4 ng/ml vs 71.4 ng/ml, p = 0.001), ursodeoxycholic acid (median level <1 ng/ml vs 32.4 ng/ml, p = 0.002), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (median level <1 ng/ml vs 53.6 ng/ml, p = 0.003) and glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA, median level 160 ng/ml vs ‍364 ng/ml, p<0.001). In conclusion, traumatic brain injury events are able to induce bile acid metabolism alteration in plasma and might cause reduction in glycocholic, taurocholic, glycoursodeoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, taurochenodeoxycholic and glycochenodeoxycholic acid levels.