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Pancreatic elastase-1 in feces
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
Reference values (norm) for the content of pancreatic elastase-1 in feces are more than 200 μg/g feces.
Human pancreatic elastase-1 belongs to the family of acid elastases. It is present in pancreatic secretion and feces. The enzyme is not destroyed during passage through the intestine. Determination of pancreatic elastase-1 in feces is a new noninvasive test for assessing the exocrine function of the pancreas. Screening for endocrine pancreatic insufficiency is indicated when chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis are suspected, as well as for long-term monitoring of already identified pancreatic insufficiency in chronic pancreatitis.
To determine the enzyme, stool is collected for 72 hours and analyzed on the same day: if necessary, it can be frozen at -20 °C. The results of determining pancreatic elastase-1 in stool are not affected by replacement therapy with pancreatic enzyme preparations.
In case of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, the content of pancreatic elastase-1 in feces decreases. The specificity of the test in feces is 94%, sensitivity - 93%. A decrease in the activity of pancreatic elastase-1 in feces is detected in patients with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diabetes mellitus type 1 (less than 100 mcg/g in 30% of patients) and 2 (less than 100 mcg/g in 12% of patients), in children with cystic fibrosis, which reflects the insufficiency of the exocrine pancreatic function in these groups of patients.
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