Fecal elastase

Fecal elastase refers to the testing of the concentrationof the pancreaticelastase-1 enzymefound in fecal matterwith an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results of this test can give a good indication of exocrine pancreatic status and is less invasive and expensive that the current ?gold standard?, secretin-cholecystokinin test.¹ Levels of fecal elastase lower than 200 μg / g of stool indicate an exocrine insufficiency. Correlations between low levels and chronic pancreatitis² and cancer³ have been reported.

References

1. Molinari, I., et al., Fecal chymotrypsin and elastase-1 determination on one single stool collected at random: diagnostic value for exocrine pancreatic status. Clin Biochem, 2004. 37(9): p. 758-763. PMID 15329313
2. Fecal Elastase 1 ELISA For Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: Comparison With ERCP-Morphology And Fecal Fat Excretion [1]
3. Role of Fecal Elastase 1 in Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot Study [2]

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal+elastase Wikipedia article Fecal elastase.