Lipase

Your pancreas produces an enzyme called lipase. When you eat, lipase is released into your digestive tract. Lipase helps your intestines break down fats in the foods you are eating.

Why Get Tested?

• Primarily to diagnose and monitor acute pancreatitis
• Diagnose and monitor chronic pancreatitis or other pancreatic diseases
• Advised to diagnose acute pancreatitis.
• Advised to monitor the treatment of acute pancreatitis.
• It differentiates pancreatitis from other causes of acute abdomen.

When To Get Tested?

When you have symptoms of a pancreatic disorder, such as severe abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, or nausea.

Sample:

1. The venous blood is needed to prepare the serum.
2. EDTA or citrated plasma interfere with the result.
3. The serum is stable at room temperature for several days.
4. Can refrigerate the sample or freeze it.
5. A fasting sample is not important.
6. Pleural fluid and ascitic fluid can be used for pancreatic diseases.

Precaution

1. Hemolysis will inhibit lipase activity.

Increased Lipase Level Is Seen In:

1. Markedly increased level seen in Acute pancreatitis after 3 to 6 hours of onset.
2. Chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic trauma, pancreatic carcinoma and obstruction of the pancreatic duct.
3. Intestinal obstruction and infarction.
4. Acute cholecystitis due to stones.
5. Primary biliary cirrhosis.
6. Acute cholangitis.
7. Salivary gland inflammation or obstruction.
8. Chronic renal failure.
9. Peptic ulcer disease.
10. Peritonitis.
11. Hemodialysis.

Acute Pancreatitis Diagnosis

1. Lipase remains elevated for a longer period than the Amylase, so greater sensitivity even in the patient who come late for the consultation.
2. The lipase level rises after the Amylase. But both are parallel to each other in values. Lipase increase is greater to amylase.
   1. Raised level of amylase does not parallel the severity of pancreatitis.
3. Lipase rises after 4 to 8 hours after the onset of pancreatitis.
   1. The peak level is at 48 hours.
   2. Lipase may remain elevated up to 14 days while Amylase not.
   3. Lipase decreases between 8 to 14 days.
   4. This may increase from 2 to 5o times of the normal value.
4. Amylase may be elevated in other abdominal pathology and renal insufficiency.
5. Hypertriglyceridemia does not interfere with the estimation of Lipase.
6. Normal lipase level is seen in 20% of the cases of acute pancreatitis.

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Possible References Used

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