Korean J Med.  2001 Mar;60(3):215-221.

The relationship of bacterial and Helicobacter infection to composition of bile acid in biliary tract diseases

• Lee BS
• Roe IH
• Nam SW
• Yoo K
• Park HJ
• Kim JW
• Shin JH
• Lee JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bacterial and Helicobacter gene were commonly detected in diseased human bile, although the meaning of the presence of Helicobacter in biliary tract is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of bile acid composition in bacterial and Helicobacter infected bile, and to determine whether Helicobacter pylori might grow in human bile or not.
METHODS
Thirty bile samples were obtained by percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage or gallbladder puncture during cholecystectomy. According to the polymerase chain reaction analysis using bacterial 16S rRNA and Helicobacter genus specific 16S rRNA primers, 3 groups were divided; Group I; no presence of any bacterial DNA, Group II; positive bacterial DNA only, Group III; positive bacterial and Helicobacter DNA. Bile acid analysis for deoxycholic acid (DCA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), lithocholic acid (LCA), and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was performed by high performance liquid chromatography. And then Helicobacter pylori was tried to culture in broth mixed with human bile at a final bile concentration of 50%.
RESULTS
The concentrations of DCA in group II and III were very low and significantly reduced compared to group I (p<0.01, respectively). The concentrations of LCA or UDCA were not shown any relationships between groups. Helicobacter pylori has grown actively in the broth mixed with human bile containing both of less than 0.1 gm/L of DCA and CDCA, compared to no growth in media mixed with human bile containing more than 3.0 gm/L of DCA and/or CDCA.
CONCLUSION
DCA seems to have the strongest antibacterial effect. Helicobacter pylori is likely to grow in human bile containg very low concentrations of CDCA and DCA.

Keyword

Bile; Bile acid; Helicobacter pylori; Biliary tract diseases

MeSH Terms

Bile*
Biliary Tract Diseases*
Biliary Tract*
Chenodeoxycholic Acid
Cholecystectomy
Chromatography, Liquid
Deoxycholic Acid
DNA
DNA, Bacterial
Drainage
Gallbladder
Helicobacter Infections*
Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter*
Humans
Lithocholic Acid
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Punctures
Ursodeoxycholic Acid
Chenodeoxycholic Acid
DNA
DNA, Bacterial
Deoxycholic Acid
Lithocholic Acid
Ursodeoxycholic Acid