Role of bile acids and metabolic activity of colonic bacteria in increased risk of colon cancer after cholecystectomy

Since the metabolic activity of the colonic flora plays a definite role in colon cancer and an increased incidence of this disease is reported after cholecystectomy, we studied the metabolic activity of the colonic flora in a group of postcholecystectomy patients and matched controls by measuring, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Digestive diseases and sciences 1993-03, Vol.38 (3), p.514-519
Main Authors: ZUCCATO, E, VENTURI, M, DI LEO, G, COLOMBO, L, BERTOLO, C, DOLDI, S. B, MUSSINI, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bile Acids and Salts - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
Breath Tests
Cholecystectomy
Colon - microbiology
Colonic Neoplasms - epidemiology
Feces - chemistry
Female
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
Humans
Hydrogen - analysis
Incidence
Indoles - analysis
Male
Malformations
Medical sciences
Methane - analysis
Middle Aged
Risk Factors
Skatole - analysis
Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus
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Summary:Since the metabolic activity of the colonic flora plays a definite role in colon cancer and an increased incidence of this disease is reported after cholecystectomy, we studied the metabolic activity of the colonic flora in a group of postcholecystectomy patients and matched controls by measuring, as representative end products of the bacterial metabolism, their fecal bile acids (BA), fecal 3-methylindole (SK) and indole (IN), and respiratory methane and hydrogen. Patients had significantly higher SK and lower IN, and, among BA, higher lithocholic (LCA) and chenodeoxycholic acid concentrations and LCA/deoxycholic acid ratio in the stools than controls. Similar differences from controls were reported for colon cancer. Comparable bacterial metabolic activities are thus operative in the large bowel of postcholecystectomized and colon cancer patients. This supports the biological plausibility of the association of cholecystectomy and colon cancer.
ISSN:0163-2116
1573-2568
DOI:10.1007/bf01316508