EVALUATION OF 3 PANCREAS SPECIFIC PROTEIN ASSAYS, TLI (TRYPSIN-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY), PASP (PANCREAS SPECIFIC PROTEIN) AND CA-19-9 (GLYCOPROTEIN) FOR USE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CANINE PANCREATITIS

Three radioimmunoassays (RIA) for the pancreas specific proteins TLI, PASP and CA 19-9 were evaluated in serum from normal control dogs (n = 40) and dogs with pancreatitis (n = 20). Statistically significant di fferences (P < 0.05) were found for serum TLI and PASP levels between the control and pancreatitis groups. However, only 3/20 dogs with panc reatitis had serum TLI concentrations greater than the highest concent ration in control dogs. Concentrations of PASP in serum were higher in 15/20 dogs with pancreatitis than in the control dogs. The magnitude of the increase in concentrations of PASP in pancreatitis was small in the majority of cases. Thus these assays are of limited clinical valu e in the diagnosis of pancreatitis. There was no cross-reactivity with dog serum in the CA 19-9 assay.