Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid Unit Converter

Taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) is a conjugated bile acid formed when the liver links chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), one of the two primary bile acids, to the amino acid taurine. This conjugation makes the molecule more water-soluble and better suited for fat emulsification in the intestine.

In healthy fasting blood, TCDCA represents roughly 14% of total circulating bile acids, making it the third most abundant species after glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA) and glycocholic acid (GCA).

TCDCA is measured as part of a fractionated bile acids panel, which quantifies individual bile acid species rather than reporting only a total. This breakdown helps clinicians identify specific patterns of liver or bile duct dysfunction.

TCDCA is produced exclusively in the liver, where hepatocytes convert cholesterol to chenodeoxycholic acid and then conjugate it with taurine before secreting it into bile. About 95% of secreted bile acids are reabsorbed from the small intestine and returned to the liver through the portal circulation, completing the enterohepatic cycle 6-8 times per day.