Abstract:Procedures currently available to detect bile acid deconjugation are technically difficult and are not routinely performed in clinical practice. We have assessed bile acid deconjugation by measuring14CO2specific activity of breath samples taken at intervals following the oral administration of 1-14C glycocholic acid and of 1-14C taurocholic acid. The test is based on the fact that during deconjugation, the amino acid and cholic acid moieties are split and the labeled carbon is converted to14CO2and exhaled. Controls and a number of patients with various malabsorption syndromes have been studied. Included were patients with bacterial overgrowth syndromes, ileal bypass, gastrocolic fistula, regional ileitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and chronic pancreatitis. The results indicate that breath analysis provides a simple, inexpensive and reliable screening technique for the detection of bile acid deconjugation.