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.
![Lipase Test](https://www.labtestsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Lipase-Test.jpg)
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:
- The venous blood is needed to prepare the serum.
- EDTA or citrated plasma interfere with the result.
- The serum is stable at room temperature for several days.
- Can refrigerate the sample or freeze it.
- A fasting sample is not important.
- Pleural fluid and ascitic fluid can be used for pancreatic diseases.
Precaution
- Hemolysis will inhibit lipase activity.
Increased Lipase Level Is Seen In:
- Markedly increased level seen in Acute pancreatitis after 3 to 6 hours of onset.
- Chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic trauma, pancreatic carcinoma and obstruction of the pancreatic duct.
- Intestinal obstruction and infarction.
- Acute cholecystitis due to stones.
- Primary biliary cirrhosis.
- Acute cholangitis.
- Salivary gland inflammation or obstruction.
- Chronic renal failure.
- Peptic ulcer disease.
- Peritonitis.
- Hemodialysis.
Acute Pancreatitis Diagnosis
- Lipase remains elevated for a longer period than the Amylase, so greater sensitivity even in the patient who come late for the consultation.
- The lipase level rises after the Amylase. But both are parallel to each other in values. Lipase increase is greater to amylase.
- Raised level of amylase does not parallel the severity of pancreatitis.
- Lipase rises after 4 to 8 hours after the onset of pancreatitis.
- The peak level is at 48 hours.
- Lipase may remain elevated up to 14 days while Amylase not.
- Lipase decreases between 8 to 14 days.
- This may increase from 2 to 5o times of the normal value.
- Amylase may be elevated in other abdominal pathology and renal insufficiency.
- Hypertriglyceridemia does not interfere with the estimation of Lipase.
- Normal lipase level is seen in 20% of the cases of acute pancreatitis.
Possible References Used