title: Amylase isoenzyme clearances in normal subjects and in patients with acute pancreatitis.
abstract: Renal clearances of amylase isoenzymes, expressed as percentages of creatinine clearances, were determined in 20 normal subjects and in 8 patients with acute pancreatitis. The isoenzyme assay employed thin layer isoelectric focusing, starch iodine staining, and densitometry. Normal clearance of pancreatic-like amylase (mean +/- SE: 3.00 +/- 0.40%) was greater than the clearance of salivary-like amylase (0.51 +/- 0.06%) in ea ch individual (P less than 0.001). However, the amount of pancreatic amylase in the serum was not the major determinant of amylase clearance. Normal clearance of pancreatic-like amylase was significantly (P less than 0.001) less than the clearance of total serum amylase in acute pancreatitis (6.49 +/- 1.07%). In pancreatitis the clearance of pancreatic-like amylase (7.29 +/- 1.19%) and the clearance of salivary-like amylase (4.55 +/- 1.02%) were both elevated compared to normal (P less than 0.001). These findings indicate that the increased clearance of amylase in pancreatitis results from a change in renal function rather than a change in serum amylase. Renal changes not reflected by increased serum creatinine or more than mild proteinuria may be manifestations of the systemic toxicity of acute pancreatitis.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000652:urine*; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D000681:Amylases