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Pancreatic Profile
Pancreas
5 parameters
Report in 12Hrs
At Home
No Fasting Required
Details
Enzyme panel.
₹2,690₹3,980
32% OFF
Parameters
- List of Tests
- Tryptophan
- Serine
- Histidine
- Amylase
- Lipase
Pancreatic Profile
- Why is it done?
- The Pancreatic Profile is a comprehensive test panel designed to evaluate pancreatic function and detect pancreatic disorders through measurement of pancreatic enzymes and amino acid metabolism markers
- Amylase and Lipase are primary pancreatic enzymes that indicate acute pancreatic inflammation or damage when elevated
- Amino acids (Tryptophan, Serine, Histidine) reflect pancreatic synthetic function and metabolic status, as the pancreas plays a crucial role in amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis
- Indicated for patients presenting with abdominal pain, suspected pancreatitis, chronic pancreatic disease, or unexplained digestive symptoms
- Used to monitor pancreatic function in patients with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, or post-pancreatic surgery
- Helps differentiate pancreatic etiology from other causes of gastrointestinal symptoms when combined with clinical presentation and imaging
- Individual tests work synergistically: enzymes (Amylase, Lipase) detect acute pancreatic injury while amino acids (Tryptophan, Serine, Histidine) assess chronic pancreatic synthetic reserve and nutritional status
- Normal Range
- Amylase: 30-110 U/L (units per liter); normal values indicate appropriate pancreatic enzyme secretion with no acute inflammation
- Lipase: 0-60 U/L (units per liter); more specific for pancreatic injury than amylase; normal range indicates proper fat digestion capacity
- Tryptophan: 4-8 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter); normal range reflects adequate dietary intake and intestinal absorption with proper pancreatic protein digestion
- Serine: 6-15 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter); normal levels indicate proper amino acid metabolism and pancreatic synthetic function
- Histidine: 3-9 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter); normal range indicates adequate histamine precursor availability and amino acid balance
- Interpretation: Results below the lower limit may indicate deficiency; results above upper limit may suggest tissue damage, malabsorption, or metabolic dysfunction
- Reference ranges may vary slightly between laboratories based on methodology and patient population; always refer to laboratory-specific ranges provided with test results
- Interpretation
- Amylase Elevated: Indicates acute pancreatitis, pancreatic inflammation, or pancreatic duct obstruction; levels typically rise within 4-8 hours of onset and peak at 24-48 hours; moderate elevation (2-10 times upper limit) suggests acute inflammation
- Amylase Decreased: Suggests chronic pancreatitis with significant pancreatic damage, liver disease, or malnutrition; indicates reduced pancreatic reserve
- Lipase Elevated: More specific than amylase for pancreatic disease; remains elevated longer (7-14 days); useful in chronic pancreatitis diagnosis; levels 3 times above normal are highly suggestive of acute pancreatitis
- Lipase Decreased: Indicates severe pancreatic insufficiency, extensive pancreatic necrosis in advanced disease, or malabsorption requiring enzyme replacement therapy
- Tryptophan Elevated: May indicate impaired protein digestion, pancreatic insufficiency, malabsorption syndrome, or hepatic dysfunction affecting amino acid metabolism
- Tryptophan Decreased: Suggests malnutrition, inadequate dietary protein intake, or malabsorption; may indicate chronic pancreatic insufficiency affecting protein digestion and absorption
- Serine Elevated: May indicate protein catabolism, tissue breakdown, or pancreatic inflammatory response; can reflect acute pancreatic injury or systemic inflammation
- Serine Decreased: Suggests reduced pancreatic synthetic function, malnutrition, or chronic liver disease; indicates potential impairment of amino acid metabolism
- Histidine Elevated: May indicate pancreatic inflammation, protein malabsorption, or renal dysfunction; can reflect acute pancreatic injury affecting protein metabolism
- Histidine Decreased: Suggests malnutrition, chronic malabsorption, or reduced pancreatic capacity to support protein metabolism; may indicate progressive pancreatic insufficiency
- Factors Affecting Results: Recent meals (especially fatty foods), medications (estrogens, certain antibiotics), alcohol consumption, hemolysis of blood sample, and timing relative to acute events all influence enzyme levels
- Macroamylasemia can cause persistently elevated amylase without true pancreatic disease; lipoprotein lipase interference may occur in patients with significant hypertriglyceridemia
- Associated Organs
- Pancreas: Primary organ evaluated; amylase and lipase are pancreatic-specific enzymes secreted by acinar cells; amino acids reflect pancreatic exocrine and endocrine function
- Acute Pancreatitis Detection: Amylase and lipase are diagnostic markers for acute pancreatic inflammation; elevated levels indicate pancreatic acinar cell damage from various causes including gallstones, alcohol, trauma, or drugs
- Chronic Pancreatitis Monitoring: Decreased enzyme levels with abnormal amino acid profiles indicate progressive pancreatic insufficiency and loss of exocrine and endocrine function
- Pancreatic Cancer Implications: Chronically elevated enzymes or progressive functional decline may suggest malignancy; amino acid abnormalities can indicate tissue invasion or impaired synthetic capacity
- Cystic Fibrosis: Shows persistently low or absent enzymes with poor amino acid profiles due to pancreatic fibrosis and ductal obstruction; essential for monitoring disease progression and nutritional status
- Small Intestine: Pancreatic enzymes are released into duodenum for nutrient digestion; reduced enzymes lead to malabsorption affecting amino acid availability and nutritional status
- Liver: Shares ductal system with pancreas (hepatopancreatic ampulla); biliary obstruction can cause secondary pancreatic enzyme elevation; liver dysfunction impairs amino acid metabolism
- Kidney: Can be source of serum amylase; kidney disease affects enzyme clearance and amino acid handling; renal impairment may cause elevated levels without pancreatic disease
- Metabolic Complications: Pancreatic dysfunction leads to diabetes mellitus (endocrine insufficiency), steatorrhea and malnutrition (exocrine insufficiency), and fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies
- Follow-up Tests
- If Amylase/Lipase Elevated: Repeat testing in 24-48 hours to assess trend; perform abdominal ultrasound or CT imaging to visualize pancreatic structure and identify gallstones or ductal abnormalities
- Bilirubin and Liver Function Tests: Assess for biliary obstruction or hepatic involvement; elevated bilirubin suggests choledocholithiasis or pancreatobiliary obstruction
- Triglycerides: Evaluate for hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis if lipase significantly elevated with normal amylase or relatively mild enzyme elevation
- Albumin and Prealbumin: Assess nutritional status and hepatic synthetic function; low levels indicate malnutrition associated with chronic pancreatic insufficiency
- If Amino Acids Abnormal: Obtain comprehensive metabolic panel including glucose to assess for pancreatogenic diabetes; measure other amino acids to evaluate metabolic profile
- ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography): Consider if ductal obstruction suspected; therapeutic intervention possible for stone removal or stricture dilation
- Fecal Elastase-1: Confirms pancreatic insufficiency when enzymes persistently low; values <200 μg/g indicate exocrine insufficiency requiring enzyme replacement
- Fat-Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E, K): Test for deficiencies associated with chronic pancreatic insufficiency and malabsorption; supplementation may be needed
- Glucose/HbA1c: Screen for diabetes mellitus secondary to pancreatic dysfunction; monitor glucose control in patients with pancreatic disease
- Pancreatic-Specific Markers: CA 19-9 if pancreatic cancer suspected; supportive marker for malignancy monitoring and prognosis
- Monitoring Frequency: Acute pancreatitis: repeat testing every 24-48 hours until normalized; Chronic pancreatitis: annual or semi-annual assessment; Post-operative patients: baseline then as clinically indicated
- Fasting Required?
- Yes - Fasting is required for accurate Pancreatic Profile results
- Fasting Duration: Minimum 8-12 hours overnight fast is required; ideally fast from midnight for early morning blood draw
- Lipase specifically requires fasting to prevent postprandial elevation; fatty meals can elevate lipase for several hours after consumption
- Amino Acids require fasting for accurate baseline values; food intake affects circulating amino acid levels and protein digestion patterns
- Medications to Avoid: Discontinue estrogen-containing medications 5-7 days before testing as they cause false enzyme elevation; consult physician before discontinuing other medications
- Certain medications that may affect results: Azathioprine, sulfonamides, thiazide diuretics, corticosteroids, and some antibiotics can falsely elevate enzyme levels
- Water Intake: Drink only water during fasting period; avoid juice, coffee, tea, and other beverages that may affect enzyme levels or hydration status
- Alcohol Consumption: Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before testing as it affects pancreatic enzyme levels and metabolism; chronic alcohol use invalidates results
- Exercise: Avoid strenuous physical activity 12-24 hours before testing; vigorous exercise can elevate amylase and lipase levels artificially
- Timing: Schedule test for early morning (7-9 AM) when possible; this allows consistent overnight fasting and minimizes diurnal variation in enzyme levels
- Acute Pancreatitis Exception: In emergency settings with suspected acute pancreatitis, testing may be performed without fasting; note fasting status on specimen
- Blood Draw Technique: Ensure proper venipuncture to prevent hemolysis which falsely elevates enzymes; use appropriate collection tubes as specified by laboratory
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