If symptoms indicate the presence of pancreatitis in humans, one of the research methods is to conduct an analysis for the presence of pancreatic enzymes.
The most common enzyme assay is the diagnosis of amylase in serum. If amylase exceeds 130 IU / l, this indicates a high probability of pancreatitis, a score of 65 to 130 indicates a possible pancreatic problems, but exceeding the norm by three times or more indicates an acute form of pancreatitis, infarction or intestinal perforation. However, with such an investigation it is worth considering that amylase rises only in the first 24 hours from the onset of development of acute pancreatitis, and after 3 days starts to normalize, coming back to normal on the fifth day. This clinical picture is characteristic of 85% of cases of the disease. But, if the study was conducted after 5 days, the analysis will not show an increase in amylase. Do not increase the content of the enzyme in hypertriglyceridemia, and in chronic pancreatitis.
Inaccuracy of the analysis for amylase is due to the fact that in addition to the pancreas this enzyme is found in the kidneys, fallopian tubes, small intestine, liver and salivary glands, the lesion of which will give similar to acute pancreatitis data. At such research try to define two isoenzymes of an amylase - not pancreatic and pancreatic. The proportion of pancreatic isoenzymes ranges from 35 to 45% of total amylase. Also it is worth considering the fact that the pancreatic isoenzyme in the analysis can be more informative than the overall activity of amylase, which is normalized much earlier than the pancreatic.
Because these two substances do not give an accurate result in enzymatic analysis, they try to determine the trypsinogen index, which is produced exclusively in the pancreas. So, if the value of trypsinogen is within normal limits, and amylase is increased, then this indicates another disease, and not about pancreatitis.
Lipase is another product that should be determined if there is a suspicion of pancreatitis. Experts consider lipase to be the best method for determining the functioning of the pancreas.
The enzyme of trypsinogen is produced by the pancreas, but excreted by the kidneys, so its fluctuations depend not only on the gland function, but also on the kidney function, like lipase and amylase. Therefore, the analysis of each of these pancreatic products by itself is not a reliable indicator of the development of pancreatitis.