BASAL SERUM PANCREATIC-POLYPEPTIDE IS DEPENDENT ON AGE AND GENDER IN AN ADULT-POPULATION

This study is the first epidemiologically based study of basal levels of serum pancreatic polypeptide (s-PP). The basal level of serum PP ha s become a field of interest mainly due to the role of PP as an endocr ine tumour marker, and as a marker of pancreatic neuroendocrine functi on after pancreas transplantation and in the case of diabetic autonomi c neuropathy. The study population consisted of primarily Caucasian ad ults representative of a general population living around Copenhagen. Serum pancreatic polypeptide was measured in random serum samples from fasting persons (n=623), aged 25-64 y, using a monospecific radioimmu noassay. Fasting serum pancreatic polypeptide depended on age and gend er. The results demonstrated that fasting pancreatic polypeptide level s increase exponentially with age. Fitted separately for each sex, bas al serum pancreatic polypeptide was found to increase by approximately 3% per year of age. Males had higher concentrations of pancreatic pol ypeptide in serum compared to age-matched females. Normal range and 95 % reference intervals are given. The lower limit for the reference int erval of the normal range was close to detection limit. We conclude th at discrepancies among earlier reports on the fasting levels of serum pancreatic polypeptide are most likely due to lack of adjustment for a ge and gender. Thus, variation due to age and gender should be conside red in evaluating fasting levels of serum pancreatic polypeptide. Whet her similar considerations are important when evaluating stimulated se rum pancreatic polypeptide levels remains to be elucidated.