SERUM PANCREAS-SPECIFIC PROTEIN IN ACUTE-PANCREATITIS - ITS CLINICAL UTILITY IN COMPARISON WITH SERUM AMYLASE

To compare the clinical utility of serum pancreas-specific protein and serum amylase in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, the study was c onducted in 134 normal subjects and 70 patients (36 with acute pancrea titis and 34 with other acute abdominal diseases as control group). Th e serum level of pancreas-specific protein in 134 healthy adults was 2 9.6 +/- 1.6 mu g/l, with 95% within 7.3-67.2 mu g/l. The upper referen ce limit was set at 70 mu g/l. Serum levels of pancreas-specific prote in and amylase within 12 h of arrival were significantly higher in pat ients with acute pancreatitis than in the control group (647.3 +/- 79. 3 versus 33.8 +/- 4.8 mu g/l (p < 0.0001) and 2536 +/- 344 versus 175 +/- 35 IU/l (p < 0.0001)). No significant difference in the levels of pancreas-specific protein was noted between biliary and alcoholic panc reatitis or between severe and mild attacks. The sensitivity, specific ity, and accuracy of diagnosing acute pancreatitis were 100%, 94.1%, a nd 97.1% with serum pancreas-specific protein > 70 mu g/l and 97.2%, 9 1.2%, and 94.3% with serum amylase > 360 IU/l. The result demonstrated that pancreas-specific protein may be a good serum marker in the diag nosis of acute pancreatitis.