Cholenic acid is a monohydroxy bile acid.1 It is a cholesterol oxidation product formed by 7α-hydroxylation of 27-hydroxycholesterol , as well as a precursor in the biosynthesis of chenodeoxycholic acid . Levels of cholenic acid are increased in patients with neonatal liver disease harboring mutations in CYP7A1, the gene encoding 7α-hydroxylase, as well as in patients with intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholestasis.2,3
1.Lee, C., Martin, K.O., and Javitt, N.B.Bile acid synthesis: 7α-Hydroxylation of intermediates in the sterol 27-hydroxylase metabolic pathwayJ. Lipid. Res.37(6)1356-1362(2006) 2.Setchell, K.D.R., Schwarz, M., O'Connell, N.C., et al.Identification of a new inborn error in bile acid synthesis: Mutation of the oxysterol 7α-hydroxylase gene causes severe neonatal liver diseaseJ. Clin. Invest.102(9)1690-1703(1998) 3.Sugiyama, K., Okuyama, S., Imoto, M., et al.Clinical evaluation of serum 3β-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid in hepatobiliary diseaseGastroenterologia Japonica21(6)608-616(1986)