Serum Bile Acids and Hepatic Function in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Ogun State

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly prevalent in Nigeria alongside rising rates of obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, yet its biochemical characterisation using emerging markers remains limited. This study investigates serum bile acid profiles and their correlation with conventional hepatic function markers and metabolic parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A case-control design was employed, with 100 patients with ultrasound-confirmed NAFLD and 100 matched controls without hepatic steatosis. Serum total and primary bile acids (cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid) were measured by HPLC. Liver function tests, fasting insulin, glucose, lipid profile, and body mass index were simultaneously determined. NAFLD severity was estimated by the NAFLD Liver Fat Score. Bile acid profiles were correlated with insulin resistance indices and liver enzyme elevations. The study examines whether bile acid dysregulation, reflecting impaired enterohepatic circulation, is detectable in the early stages of NAFLD in Nigerian patients. Findings will contribute new biochemical insights into NAFLD pathophysiology in a West African population. Keywords: bile acids, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, NAFLD, Ogun State.