The Comparison of Total Bile Acid Concentration and Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity as Markers of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy

Background: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is the liver disorder in the second or early third trimester of pregnancy. It is characterized by pruritus with increased serum total bile acids concentration (TBA) and increased liver enzymes. It is important to recognize the disease in its early stage. We aimed to investigate the serum alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity and compare it with the concentration of total bile acid (TBA) in women with ICP.. Methods: : Serum samples were taken from 80 pregnancies with ICP in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and from 80 healthy pregnant women. For measurement of ADH we used the spectrofluorometric and photometric methods. Results: : The results shows a statistically significant increase in the activity of ADH I and ADH total (about 60% and 41%, respectively). Activity of ADH I well correlated with aminotransferases (alanine ALT and aspartate AST) and TBA concentration. The total ADH activity was also positively correlated with ALT, AST and TBA. Conclusion: We can state that the activity of class I ADH isoenzyme in the sera of patients with ICP is increased and seems to be a good indicator of liver cell destruction during ICP and is comparable with the value of other markers.