Enzymatic quantification of total serum bile acids as a monitoring strategy for women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy receiving ursodeoxycholic acid treatment: a cohort study

Objective To evaluate enzymatic total serum bile acid quantification as a monitoring strategy for women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Design Cohort. Setting One UK university hospital. Population 29 ICP cases treated with UDCA. Methods Serial samples were collected prospectively throughout gestation. Total serum bile acids were measured enzymatically and individual bile acids by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. Data were log‐transformed and analysed with random effects generalised least square regression. Main outcome measures The relationship between enzymatic total bile acid measurements and individual bile acid concentrations after UDCA treatment. Results In untreated women, cholic acid was the principal bile acid (51%) and UDCA concentrations were