title: The role of fecal elastase-1 in detecting exocrine pancreatic disease.
abstract: Exocrine pancreatic disease is thought to be uncommon in clinical practice and usually secondary to excess alcohol intake. Although excess alcohol intake does account for many cases of exocrine pancreatic disease, other conditions are associated with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and such dysfunction perhaps occurs more frequently than conventionally expected. A reliable, patient-friendly, cheap and easy to use test for exocrine pancreatic disease is yet to be established; however, in many countries the main (and often only available) method of assessment of exocrine pancreatic function is the fecal-elastase-1 test. This Review examines the role of fecal-elastase-1 testing in detecting exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in a number of gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal conditions and determines the value of pancreatic enzyme supplementation in these settings.
authors.affiliation: Room 2.39, Ashgrove House, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN, UK. j.leeds@nhs.net
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Leeds
authors.forename: Kofi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oppong
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D046790:Pancreas, Exocrine / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase