Determination of 3β-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid in serum of hepatobiliary diseases—Its glucuronidated and sulfated conjugates

3β-Hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid in the serum of control subjects and 62 patients with various hepatobiliary diseases was quantitated by mass fragmentography after separation into nonglucuronidated-nonsulfated, glucuronidated, and sulfated fractions. Deuterium-labeled deoxycholic acid and its glucuronide and sulfate were used as internal standards. Mean concentrations of total 3β-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid in serum (μmole/liter) were as follows: Control subjects (14), 0.184; obstructive jaundice (15), 6.783; liver cirrhosis, compensated (12), 0.433, and decompensated (12), 1.636; chronic hepatitis (12), 0.241; and acute hepatitis (11), 2.364. Most of the 3β-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid was glucuronidated or sulfated. Only in patients with obstructive jaundice did glucuronidation (60 ± 14%) exceed sulfation (31 ± 14%), sulfation exceeding glucuronidation in the others. The UDP-glucuronyltransferase might have different substrate specificities for 3β-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid and other common bile acids, especially in the cholestatic state.