Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy - time to redefine the reference
range of total serum bile acids: a cross-sectional study
Abstract
Objective To establish pregnancy-specific reference ranges for fasting
and postprandial total serum bile acids (TSBA) levels. Design
Cross-sectional study. Setting Tertiary care university hospital.
Population Healthy pregnant women at term admitted to the Obstetrics
Department over one year. Exclusion criteria were an established
diagnosis of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) or any
co-existing condition of increased risk for ICP. Methods and Main
Outcome Measures Both fasting and postprandial TSBA levels were measured
in 612 women (528 fasting and 377 postprandial samples). Results
Reference intervals of 4.4-14.1 µmol/L for fasting TSBA, and 4.7-20.2
µmol/L for postprandial TSBA were established. The postprandial values
were significantly higher than the fasting measurements, with a mean
increase of 1.77 µmol/L (22%). A correlation between fasting TSBA
levels and postprandial levels was found, as well as with fetal gender,
parity, and the use of assisted reproductive technologies. A seasonal
pattern was noticed for both fasting and postprandial TSBA, with the
highest values in the winter season (p < 0.01 and 0.02,
respectively). Conclusions Normal pregnancy is a sub-cholestatic state
and is associated with a physiological elevation of TSBA levels,
therefore a higher threshold should be considered for the diagnosis of
ICP. We suggest using the upper reference limit observed in our healthy
pregnant population (fasting ≥14 µmol/L and postprandial ≥20 µmol/L). As
the fasting measurement is more specific for the diagnosis, and the
postprandial is essential for severity assessment, it is recommended to
measure both values, rather than use random samplings. Funding No
funding to declare.