Biomaterial Database

Serum amylase and lipase concentrations and lipase/amylase ratio in assessment of etiology and severity of acute pancreatitis. 1993

R Pezzilli, and P Billi, and M Miglioli, and L Gullo

Emergency Department, St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy.

We studied the behavior of serum amylase and lipase in 66 consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis in order to assess the ability of these tests and of the serum lipase-amylase ratio to establish the etiology and predict the severity of acute pancreatitis. Forty-two patients had biliary acute pancreatitis, 14 had alcoholic acute pancreatitis, and the remaining 10 nonbiliary, nonalcoholic (NBNA) acute pancreatitis. Serum amylase and lipase were abnormally high in all patients. The elevations of both serum amylase and lipase were significantly lower in patients with alcoholic pancreatitis than in those with biliary pancreatitis, although a considerable overlap was observed between the two groups. No statistically significant differences were found between NBNA patients and those with either biliary or alcoholic forms of the disease. The serum lipase-amylase ratios in patients with alcoholic pancreatitis ranged from 0.2 to 5.6, in those with biliary pancreatitis from 0.1 to 7.9, and in those with NBNA pancreatitis from 0.1 to 4.4. These differences were not statistically significant. No differences in serum enzyme levels were observed among patients without apparent imaging signs of acute pancreatitis (N = 20), those with signs of pancreatic edema (N = 36), and those with necrotizing pancreatitis (N = 10). The results indicate that serum amylase and lipase concentrations are not able to establish either the etiology or to predict the severity of acute pancreatitis as assessed by imaging techniques. Furthermore, the serum lipase-amylase ratio is not useful in distinguishing acute episodes of alcoholic from nonalcoholic acute pancreatitis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008049	Lipase	An enzyme of the hydrolase class that catalyzes the reaction of triacylglycerol and water to yield diacylglycerol and a fatty acid anion. It is produced by glands on the tongue and by the pancreas and initiates the digestion of dietary fats. (From Dorland, 27th ed) EC 3.1.1.3.	Triacylglycerol Lipase,Tributyrinase,Triglyceride Lipase,Acid Lipase,Acid Lipase A,Acid Lipase B,Acid Lipase I,Acid Lipase II,Exolipase,Monoester Lipase,Triacylglycerol Hydrolase,Triglyceridase,Triolean Hydrolase,Hydrolase, Triacylglycerol,Hydrolase, Triolean,Lipase A, Acid,Lipase B, Acid,Lipase I, Acid,Lipase II, Acid,Lipase, Acid,Lipase, Monoester,Lipase, Triglyceride
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010179	Pancreas	A nodular organ in the ABDOMEN that contains a mixture of ENDOCRINE GLANDS and EXOCRINE GLANDS. The small endocrine portion consists of the ISLETS OF LANGERHANS secreting a number of hormones into the blood stream. The large exocrine portion (EXOCRINE PANCREAS) is a compound acinar gland that secretes several digestive enzymes into the pancreatic ductal system that empties into the DUODENUM.
D010195	Pancreatitis	INFLAMMATION of the PANCREAS. Pancreatitis is classified as acute unless there are computed tomographic or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic findings of CHRONIC PANCREATITIS (International Symposium on Acute Pancreatitis, Atlanta, 1992). The two most common forms of acute pancreatitis are ALCOHOLIC PANCREATITIS and gallstone pancreatitis.	Acute Edematous Pancreatitis,Acute Pancreatitis,Pancreatic Parenchyma with Edema,Pancreatic Parenchymal Edema,Pancreatitis, Acute,Pancreatitis, Acute Edematous,Peripancreatic Fat Necrosis,Acute Edematous Pancreatitides,Acute Pancreatitides,Edema, Pancreatic Parenchymal,Edematous Pancreatitides, Acute,Edematous Pancreatitis, Acute,Fat Necrosis, Peripancreatic,Necrosis, Peripancreatic Fat,Pancreatic Parenchymal Edemas,Pancreatitides, Acute,Pancreatitides, Acute Edematous,Parenchymal Edema, Pancreatic,Peripancreatic Fat Necroses
D002769	Cholelithiasis	Presence or formation of GALLSTONES in the BILIARY TRACT, usually in the gallbladder (CHOLECYSTOLITHIASIS) or the common bile duct (CHOLEDOCHOLITHIASIS).	Gallstone Disease,Cholelithiases,Gallstone Diseases
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D004796	Clinical Enzyme Tests	Analyses for a specific enzyme activity, or of the level of a specific enzyme that is used to assess health and disease risk, for early detection of disease or disease prediction, diagnosis, and change in disease status.	Enzyme Tests, Clinical,Clinical Enzyme Test,Enzyme Test, Clinical,Test, Clinical Enzyme,Tests, Clinical Enzyme
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man