Serum bile acids associate with liver volume in polycystic liver disease and decrease upon treatment with lanreotide

Eur J Clin Invest. 2024 Apr;54(4):e14147. doi: 10.1111/eci.14147. Epub 2023 Dec 9.

Abstract

Background: Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a common extrarenal manifestation of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Bile acids may play a role in PLD pathogenesis. We performed a post-hoc exploratory analysis of bile acids in ADPKD patients, who had participated in a trial on the effect of a somatostatin analogue. Our hypothesis was that serum bile acid levels increase in PLD, and that lanreotide, which reduces liver growth, may also reduce bile acid levels. Furthermore, in PLD, urinary excretion of bile acids might contribute to renal disease.

Methods: With liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, 11 bile acids in serum and 6 in urine were quantified in 105 PLD ADPKD patients and 52 age-, sex-, mutation- and eGFR-matched non-PLD ADPKD patients. Sampling was done at baseline and after 120 weeks of either lanreotide or standard care.

Results: Baseline serum levels of taurine- and glycine-conjugated bile acids were higher in patients with larger livers. In PLD patients, multiple bile acids decreased upon treatment with lanreotide but remained stable in untreated subjects. Changes over time did not correlate with changes in liver volume. Urine bile acid levels did not change and did not correlate with renal disease progression.

Conclusion: In ADPKD patients with PLD, baseline serum bile acids were associated with liver volume. Lanreotide reduced bile acid levels and has previously been shown to reduce liver volume. However, in this study, the decrease in bile acids was not associated with the change in liver volume.

Keywords: ADPKD; PLD; bile acid; biomarker.

MeSH terms

  • Bile Acids and Salts
  • Cysts*
  • Humans
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver Diseases* / complications
  • Liver Diseases* / drug therapy
  • Peptides, Cyclic*
  • Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant* / complications
  • Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant* / drug therapy
  • Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant* / pathology
  • Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Somatostatin / pharmacology
  • Somatostatin / therapeutic use

Substances

  • lanreotide
  • Somatostatin
  • Bile Acids and Salts
  • Peptides, Cyclic

Supplementary concepts

  • Polycystic liver disease