title: Hyperamylasemia and S-type isozyme dominance in liver cirrhosis.
abstract: To investigate the mechanisms of serum amylase abnormalities in liver disease, we determined serum amylase levels, S-type isozyme proportion, clinical symptoms, and laboratory data in 38 cases of histologically confirmed liver cirrhosis and 19 controls. Of the 12 patients who were hyperamylasemic (12/38, 32%), 5 showed S-type isozyme dominance (5/12, 42%), whereas in the 26 normoamylasemic cirrhosis patients, only 5 were S-type isozyme dominant (5/26, 19%). Isozyme percentages were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in the dominant-S-type cases than in the controls, and S-type dominance was found more frequently in the hyperamylasemic than in the normoamylasemic cirrhosis cases. Only ascites and esophageal varices were observed more frequently as clinical symptoms in the dominant-S-type cases. Our results suggest that amylase is not produced in the human liver, but that the decreased clearance rate of amylase, especially the S-type isozyme, may be a cause of hyperamylasemia and S-type isozyme dominance in cirrhosis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood*; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D000681:Amylases