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The following is a summary of “Circulating bile acid profiles characteristics and the potential predictive role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression,” published in the April 2025 issue of BMC Nephrology by Wang et al. 

The incidence of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has increased, with bile acid (BA) metabolism linked to its development. However, the role of BAs as biomarkers in ccRCC remains underexplored. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the relationship between BA metabolism and ccRCC. 

They enrolled 68 newly diagnosed patients with ccRCC and 63 healthy controls. Serum bile acid (BA) profiles were measured using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) model analyzed differences in serum BA profiles between patients with ccRCC and controls. They also investigated the relationship between BA profiles and tumor heterogeneity parameters. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis identified potential biomarkers for ccRCC pathogenesis. 

The results showed that the BA profile was altered in patients with ccRCC, unaffected by sex or age. Primary and secondary unconjugated BA fractions were significantly higher in patients with ccRCC. About 5 patients with BA metabolite showed the most significant differences between patients with ccRCC and controls. Deoxycholic acid (DCA) correlated with pathological pTNM stage classification and grade. Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA), combined with testosterone, showed potential as biomarkers for ccRCC pathogenesis. 

Investigators observed alterations in the serum BA profile in ccRCC. DCA correlated with pathological pTNM stage classification and tumor grade, while CDCA combined with LCA showed potential as biomarkers for ccRCC pathogenesis. 

Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-025-04142-y