Pancreatic abnormalities in patients with eating disorders.
In patients with eating disorders, we evaluated pancreatic abnormalities using serum elastase 1 measurement by RIA and the 50 g oral glucose tolerance test (50 g OGTT). Twenty-one patients had anorexia nervosa (AN) with bulimia and vomiting (AN-B group), 30 had AN without bulimia or vomiting (AN-R group), and 25 had bulimia with normal body weight (B group). The serum elastase 1 level was determined on admission and repeated after body weight gain in 43 anorectic patients. The 50 g OGTT was performed within 2 weeks after admission. The serum elastase 1 level in the AN-B group (363 +/- 47 ng/dl, M +/- SE), and in the AN-R group (352 +/- 37) were significantly higher than that in the B group (242 +/- 18) or in the healthy female controls (191 +/- 10; n = 13). A significant decrease of serum elastase 1 was observed before and after body weight gain; however, there was no significant correlation between the serum elastase 1 level and insulin response to the 50 g OGTT. Elevation of the serum elastase 1 level in AN suggests pancreatic abnormalities other than those related to endocrinological events.
Kobayashi
N
N
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Japan.
Tamai
H
H
Uehata
S
S
Komaki
G
G
Mori
K
K
Matsubayashi
S
S
Nakagawa
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000201:enzymology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000097:blood; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase