Comparison of urine trypsinogen-2 test strip with serum lipase in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The accuracy of a new rapid urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip (actim Pancreatitis) was compared with that of serum lipase for detection of acute pancreatitis in patients with acute abdominal pain. METHODOLOGY: A prospective study was conducted which consisted of 237 consecutive patients with acute abdominal pain admitted to the emergency unit at Helsinki University Central Hospital. The patients were tested on admission with the actim Pancreatitis test strip. Serum amylase, serum lipase, and urine trypsinogen-2 concentrations were also determined quantitatively. RESULTS: The actim Pancreatitis test strip result was positive in 27 out of 29 patients with acute pancreatitis (sensitivity 93%) and in 16 of 208 patients with non-pancreatic abdominal pain (specificity 92%). This was superior to that of serum lipase (sensitivity 79% and specificity 88%). With a cut-off > 3x the upper reference limit, the sensitivity of serum lipase was only 55% while the specificity was 99%. The high sensitivity for the actim Pancreatitis test strip resulted in a very high negative predictive value of 99%. All six patients with severe acute pancreatitis were detected by the dipstick. With a higher cut-off value (> 3x upper reference limit) for lipase, two patients with severe acute pancreatitis remained undetected. Combining the actim Pancreatitis dipstick with serum lipase a positive predictive value of 94% was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Acute pancreatitis can be excluded with a higher probability with the actim Pancreatitis strip than with serum lipase determination, and therefore appears to be more suitable for screening of acute pancreatitis. With its high specificity with a cut-off > 3x the upper reference limit, serum lipase is suitable as a confirmatory test for pancreatitis when a positive dipstick result is obtained.

Predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis by rapid measurement of trypsinogen-2 in urine.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of patients at risk of developing a severe attack of acute pancreatitis (AP) is of great importance because rapid therapeutic interventions improve outcome. At a cutoff of 50 microg/L, trypsinogen-2 measured by a rapid urinary dipstick is a sensitive and specific diagnostic test in AP. The trypsinogen-2 concentration correlates with the severity of the disease, and a test with a higher cutoff might therefore be useful for prediction of disease severity. METHODS: We increased the detection limit of the urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip (Actim Pancreatitis) from 50 microg/L to 2000 microg/L and evaluated the prognostic value of this test. The results were compared with those obtained with serum C-reactive protein and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score. The study population consisted of 150 consecutive patients with AP (42 with severe disease). RESULTS: The sensitivity of the rapid urinary test strip (detection limit, 2000 microg/L) for prediction of severe AP, both on admission and at 24 h, was 62%; specificities were 87% and 85%, respectively, positive predictive values were 65% and 62%, and negative predictive values were 85% and 85%. C-Reactive protein had a sensitivity of only 38% on admission, but at 24 h, it was 83%; specificities were 90% and 70%, respectively, whereas positive predictive values were 59% and 52%, and NPVs were 79% and 91%, respectively. On admission the positive-likelihood ratio for the urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip was 4.8, and at 24 h it was 4.2; for C-reactive protein, the values were 3.7 and 2.7, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick is a simple and rapid method for prediction of severe acute pancreatitis.

Reliable screening for acute pancreatitis with rapid urine trypsinogen-2 test strip.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the validity of a new rapid urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip (Actim Pancreatitis) for detection of acute pancreatitis in patients with acute abdominal pain. METHODS: A total of 525 consecutive patients presenting with abdominal pain at two emergency units was included prospectively and tested with the Actim Pancreatitis test strip. Urine trypsinogen-2 concentrations were also determined by a quantitative method. The diagnosis and assessment of severity of acute pancreatitis was based on raised serum and urinary amylase levels, clinical features and findings on dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography. RESULTS: In 45 patients the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis could be established. The Actim Pancreatitis test strip result was positive in 43 of them resulting in a sensitivity of 96 per cent. Thirty-seven false-positive Actim Pancreatitis test strips were obtained in patients with non-pancreatic abdominal pain resulting in a specificity of 92 per cent. Nine patients with severe acute pancreatitis were all detected by the dipstick. CONCLUSION: A negative Actim Pancreatitis strip result excludes acute pancreatitis with high probability. Positive results indicate the need for further evaluation, i.e. other enzyme measurements and/or radiological examinations. The test is easy and rapid to perform, unequivocal in its interpretation and can be used in healthcare units lacking laboratory facilities.

Urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip for acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: A simple, rapid test is specific and sensitive enough to distinguish, in patients with clinically suspected acute pancreatitis, those whose abdominal pain is indeed of pancreatic origin has proved elusive. METHODS: In two consecutive series of surgical patients in a teaching hospital, whose acute abdominal pain turned out to be due to acute pancreatitis (n-57) or extrapancreatic in origin (n=40), we studied urinary trypsinogen-2 in two ways. A test strip, incorporating monoclonal antibodies to two epitopes on trypsinogen-2, recorded a blue line when concentrations exceeded 50 microgram/L; we also measured trypsinogen-2 concentrations in the laboratory. FINDINGS: In the patients with acute pancreatitis the test strip was positive in 52 and negative in five, whereas in the 40 extrapancreatic controls there were four false positives. In a further set of 57 orthopaedic controls, one urine was strip-test positive. Concentrations of urinary trypsinogen-2 and the test-strip results were in good agreement and in only three of the 154 patients were the two approaches discrepant, at the 50 microgram/L cut-off. INTERPRETATION: These findings, in patients whose acute abdominal pain was known to be pancreatic in origin or not, are encouraging but need to be confirmed in a consecutive series of patients in whom the diagnosis of pancreatitis is in doubt.

Use of monoclonal antibodies to serotype-specific antigens of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 in passive immunization.

The prophylactic value of mouse monoclonal antibodies to the pig pathogen Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae was studied. Approximately 250 mg of purified mouse monoclonal antibody specific to capsular antigens of H pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 was given IV to five 9-week-old pigs. Five additional pigs from the same litter served as controls. On the following day, all pigs were given a lethal dose (5 x 10(9)) of H pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 into the trachea. Four controls and 1 pig that was given antibodies died within 24 hours. The surviving 5 pigs developed typical signs of pleuropneumonia. After 6 days, the pigs were euthanatized and their respiratory tracts were examined for pathologic changes. All 5 pigs had pathologic changes, but they were less severe in the 4 pigs that had been given antibodies, compared with those in the control pig.

Glycoproteins of human teratocarcinoma cells (PA1) carry both anomers of O-glycosyl-linked D-galactopyranosyl-(1----3)-2-acetamido- 2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl group.

Two disaccharide alcohols, alpha-D-Galp(1----3)-GalNAcol and beta-D-Galp-(1----3)-GalNAcol, together with a GalNAcol-containing tetra- or penta-saccharide alcohol, were released from human embryonal carcinoma cells of line PA1 by reductive beta-elimination. The disaccharides were identified by exoglycosidase digestions and by periodate oxidation. The results were confirmed by affinity chromatography of the disaccharide alcohols on immobilized Bandeirea simplicifolia lectin and by chromatography of the parent glycopeptides on immobilized peanut lectin.