title: Trypsin-based laboratory methods and carboxypeptidase activation peptide in acute pancreatitis.
abstract: Acute pancreatitis is a common disease varying widely in severity. At present, there is no "gold standard" for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Currently, the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is based on measurements of serum amylase and/or lipase activity, which are considered unsatisfactory due to their low level of accuracy. Early identification of acute pancreatitis and especially detection of patients with a severe form of the disease is of utmost importance. Premature intrapancreatic activation of trypsinogen is a crucial early event in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. The conversion of trypsinogen to active trypsin is mediated by the release of its activation peptide (TAP). The active trypsin is then able to activate other pancreatic zymogens (i.e. procarboxypeptidase) leading to tissue damage and eventually to autodigestion of the pancreas. To improve the laboratory diagnostics of AP, new methods have been developed to measure this primary pancreatic proteolytic insult. Here we review the current knowledge and clinical implications of trypsin based laboratory methods and carboxypeptidase activation peptide (CAPAP) in the diagnosis and severity assessment of acute pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital. Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marja Leena
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kylänpää-Bäck
authors.forename: Esko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kemppainen
authors.forename: Pauli
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puolakkainen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System; D003940:Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine; D006801:Humans; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010455:Peptides; D014357:Trypsin
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010455:Peptides; C110925:carboxypeptidase B activation peptide; D014357:Trypsin