[Pancreatic enzyme elevations in Korean chronic renal failure patients].
OBJECTIVE
Increased levels of pancreatic enzymes have been reported in patients with renal insufficiency even in the absence of pancreatic diseases. Here, we analyzed serum amylase and lipase levels in chronic renal failure patients according to the degree of azotemia and the treatment modality.


METHODS
Serum amylase and lipase levels were reviewed in 95 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, 105 patients on hemodialysis, 71 patients with renal transplantation, and 73 patients without treatment. Age and sex matched 344 normal healthy controls were selected among those who checked their serum amylase and lipase levels during the same study period.


RESULTS
Mean value of amylase level in the patient group (93.7+/-76.5 U/L) was higher than healthy controls (63.8+/-21.4 U/L) (p<0.001) and lipase level in the patient group (212.3+/-195.0 U/L) was higher than healthy control (95.2+/-45.1 U/L) (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in amylase and lipase levels according to the treatment modality in the patient group. The correlations between creatinine clearance and amylase (r=-0.148, p=0.012) or lipase (r=-0.119, p=0.042) were found to be inverse only when the creatinine clearance falls below 50 mL/min.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum amylase and lipase levels are about 1.5 times and 2.2 times higher in chronic renal failure patients than healthy controls regardless of treatment modality. The elevations of amylase and lipase levels are inversely correlated with creatinine clearance when it falls below 50 mL/min.
Lee
Sun-Young
SY
Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Kyu Taek
KT
Kang
Tae Wook
TW
Moon
Won
W
Lee
Sang Soo
SS
Hwang
Ji Young
JY
Lee
Jong Kyun
JK
Paik
Seung Woon
SW
Rhee
Jong Chul
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000628:therapy; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy
D003404:Creatinine; D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases