Serum 7-alfa-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and fibroblast growth factor-19 as biomarkers diagnosing bile acid malabsorption in microscopic colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Bile acid malabsorption is common in microscopic colitis, irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of 7-alfa-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and compared it with fibroblast growth factor-19 as biomarkers for bile acid malabsorption.

Methods: We enrolled consecutively 109 chronic diarrhea patients with standard laboratory tests, fecal calprotectin, and endoscopy separated into six groups: n = 30 with active inflammatory bowel disease, n = 21 with inflammatory bowel disease in remission reporting >3 bowel movements per day, n = 21 with inflammatory bowel disease after surgery, n = 23 with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, n = 14 with microscopic colitis and 11 healthy subjects (controls).