Elastase 1 in serum

thumb|Markery akutní pankreatitidy

Introduction

 * Elastase-1 (EC 3.4.21.11) is secreted as proelastase and activated by trypsinem.
 * We distinguish:
 * 1) elastase-1 (Mr 30 000; anodic fraction), which occurs in serum in free form and in complex with &alpha;1-proteinase inhibitor
 * 2) elastase-2 (Mr 25 000; cathodic fraction).


 * The enzyme is secreted by the pancreatic juice into the duodena and the protein sequence selected for [immunochemical detection]] při stanovení elastase-1 in stool.
 * In inflammatory processes, there is also a retrograde release into the bloodstream and quantification of serum levels of human pancreatic elastase is a suitable marker of acute pancreatitis, such as post-ERCP, and pancreatic cancer.

Characteristics

 * Serum elastase-1 (determined by ELISA) has the highest of all enzymes for pancreatic cancer specificity and sensitivity.
 * Serum elastase-1 levels are elevated in both acute and chronic recurrent pancreatitis, and the increase persists longer and correlates better with clinical status than &alpha;-amylase.
 * The reference range (for RIA methodology) is 1.3–4.3 μg/l. The latest study in the determination of serum elastase 1 is based on a latex immunoassay.

Source

 * with the permission of the author taken from KOCNA, Petr. GastroLab: MiniEncyclopedia of laboratory methods in gastroenterology  [online]. © 2002. Last revision 2011-01-08, [cit. 2011-03-04]. < http://www1.lf1.cuni.cz/~kocna/glab/glency1.htm >.