Enzymatic sulphation of bile salts in man. Bile salt sulphotransferase activity in percutaneous liver biopsy specimens from patients with liver disease.

Bile salt sulphation in liver disease was investigated by measuring the bile salt sulphotransferase level in percutaneous liver biopsy specimens from 27 patients. The same magnitude of mean specific enzyme activity was found in patients with cholestatic and non-cholestatic liver disease. No significant difference of the mean bile salt sulphotransferase activity was found when patients with and without reduced liver function as evidence from the intravenous galactose tolerance test were compared. The present results indicate that induction of liver bile salt sulphotransferase does not occur to a significant extend in clinical conditions with cholestasis.