A prospective study of serum pancreatic elastase-1 in the diagnosis and assessment of acute pancreatitis.
BACKGROUND
Serum amylase gives a poor estimate of both the true incidence and the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).


METHODS
We evaluated serum pancreatic elastase-1 (PE-1) prospectively in 567 patients in whom AP was suspected. In established AP, severity was assessed using the Glasgow Criteria, and C-reactive protein, amylase, and serum PE-1 were evaluated over 5 days.


RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic efficiency of serum PE-1 were 0.66, 0.85, and 0.84, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of serum PE-1 was 0.80, and that of amylase 0.97. Serum PE-1 did not correlate with disease severity or the development of complications, but it fell more slowly than the serum amylase in the week after admission.


CONCLUSIONS
The serum PE-1 level correlated closely with the serum amylase but conferred no benefit as a diagnostic test, nor did it provide further prognostic information.
The Combined Gastroenterology Service, Scarborough Hospital, Yorkshire, UK.
C E
CE
Millson
K
K
Charles
P
P
Poon
J
J
Macfie
C J
CJ
Mitchell
D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000097:blood*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000681:Amylases; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase