[Serum concentration of bile acids as an index of liver lesions in rheumatoid arthritis].

Many Authors reported an impairment of liver function tests in Rheumatoid Arthritis (R.A.) No study can be found on Serum Bile Acids (S.B.A.), which are a specific index of liver dysfunction. In a series of 20 patients, affected by R.A. and without other causes of hepatic damage, we found S.B.A. elevated in 80% (mean value 14,1 muM/l versus 2,6 muM/l in controls), bromosulphalein retenction (BSP) elevated in 60% and glutamyltranspeptidase (GT) in 55%. These results confirm BSP and GT frequent impairment, as found by others, and give evidence to S.B.A. reliability in evaluating liver function in R.A.