Pancreolauryl test in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

ABSTRACT

Pancreolauryl test was studied in 17 subjects; four were normal, eleven were patients with chronic pancreatitis, and two were subjects with other gastrointestinal disorders. The pancreolauryl test was performed in urine and serum. Patients with chronic pancreatitis who had positive stool fat had a positive pancreolauryl test at 100% in both urine and serum, while those with negative stool fat had positive results of pancreolauryl test at 28.57% in urine and 60% in serum. However, the test gave 75% positive results in normal serum, but it was 100% negative in urine. Therefore, the cut off point for pancreolauryl test at 4.5 ตg/ml may not be suitable for Thai patients. The false positive of this test in serum may be caused by hemolysis. Pancreolauryl test in urine may be useful to help in diagnosing chronic pancreatitis in which morphological abnormality cannot be found.