Taurocholic Acid Unit Converter

Taurocholic acid (TCA) is a primary conjugated bile acid formed when the liver attaches the amino acid taurine to cholic acid. It is one of the major bile salts found in human bile.

When measured in blood, TCA reflects the balance between bile acid production in the liver, secretion into bile, reabsorption from the intestine, and clearance back into liver cells. Among all individual bile acids, TCA tends to show the largest increases during liver disease, making it a particularly sensitive marker of hepatobiliary function.

In humans, roughly 70% of cholic acid is conjugated with glycine and 30% with taurine, though this ratio shifts with diet and taurine availability. TCA is measured as part of a fractionated bile acid panel alongside other individual bile acid species.

Produced exclusively in the liver through a two-step process: hepatocytes first synthesize cholic acid from cholesterol, then conjugate it with the amino acid taurine before secretion into bile.