title: [The diagnostic validity of non-invasive pancreatic function tests--a meta-analysis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The paper discusses the non-invasive (tubeless) pancreatic function tests used to diagnose exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EI). Studies evaluating the diagnostic validity of these tests are integrated into a meta-analysis, provided that they comply with the following criteria: The sensitivity (Ss) of a test has to be calculated by comparing it with an invasive function test which is accepted as the gold standard of pancreatic function diagnostics. Furthermore, the test must differentiate between slight (sl), moderate (md) and severe (sv) EI. For assessment of the specificity (Sp), the control group should not contain healthy persons but rather patients with other gastrointestinal diseases and a normal pancreatic function. In the statistical evaluation, each study was weighted according to the number of persons included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tests (n = sum of persons included in all analysed studies): Fecal chymotrypsin: Ss (n = 169) 54 % (sl EI), 53 % (md EI), 89 % (sv EI), Sp (n = 202) 74 %. NBT-PABA test: Ss (n = 394) 49 % (sl EI), 64 % (md EI), 72 % (sv EI), Sp (n = 218) 83 %. Pancreolauryl test: Ss (n = 320) 63 % (sl EI), 76 % (md EI), 94 % (sv EI), Sp (n = 171) 85 %. Fecal elastase-1: Ss (n = 307) 54 % (sl EI), 75 % (md EI), 95 % (sv EI), Sp (n = 347) 79 %. Additional tests discussed but not included in the meta-analysis were fecal fat, (13)C breath tests, amino acid consumption test, serum tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  None of the non-invasive pancreatic function tests is sensitive enough to diagnose reliably a slight to moderate exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Chemie und Pathobiochemie, Medizinische Fakultät der Universität Rostock.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siegmund
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Löhr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schuff-Werner
mesh_terms: D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity