Usefulness of Serum Lipase, Esterase, and Amylase Estimation in the Diagnosis of Pancreatitis—a Comparison

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Abstract
Sera of 19 individuals with clinically established pancreatitis were analyzed for lipase activity on emulsion-type and aqueous substrates. Serum amylase concentrations were compared. Results obtained on the first and subsequent days of hospitalization clearly indicated that methods for lipase determination in which an emulsion-type substrate is used are of the greatest aid in diagnosing pancreatitis (90 to 92% of patients with pancreatitis had supranormal results). Amylase determinations were nearly as useful as an index (78% correlation), but "lipase" values obtained with methods in which aqueous substrates are used had limited clinical usefulness (29 and 32% correlation). Serum lipase elevations in cases of pancreatitis were generally greater than amylase elevations, with some exceptions. Serum lipase should be determined with a method in which emulsion-type substrates are used. Lipase and amylase values supplement one another.

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