title: P amylase is always greater than S in spot urine of normal subjects. Diagnostic implications.
abstract: Single random samples of urine were collected from 50 control subjects; 27 patients with chronic pancreatitis; 19 with acute pancreatitis; 6 with acute on chronic pancreatitis; five in the recovery phase of acute attack; four patients with pseudocysts. Salivary (S) and pancreatic (P) amylase values were measured by cellulose acetate electrophoresis. The P amylase values always exceeded those of S amylase in the control specimens. In acute pancreatitis, both the lower and upper levels of total and P amylase were considerably higher than in the controls, and these high values tended to return to normal during the recovery phase of acute pancreatitis. The S amylase values were often very low or undetectable during the acute phase. Values for P amylase exceeded control values in patients with pseudocysts even in the presence of chronic pancreatitis. In chronic calcific pancreatitis, S amylase was higher than P amylase. We conclude that P amylase is always greater than S amylase in normal urine specimens, and a change in this pattern may be helpful in diagnosing various forms of pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11040.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bank
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Abrol
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blumstein
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kranz
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000652:urine; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases