Clinical studies of serum phospholipase A2 immunoreactivity

: We tested the new radioimmunoassay method of serum phospholipase A2 (PLA2). In healthy individuals, serum PLA2 concentrations were 301 +/- 65.6 ng/dl (mean +/- SD), and in patients with acute pancreatitis, significant elevations of serum PLA2 concentrations were observed. In clinical course of acute pancreatitis, serum PLA2 was maintained high level more longer than serum amylase and elastase 1. In patients with chronic pancreatitis, serum PLA2 concentration were low at a stage of severe exocrine dysfunction, and high at a stage of acute exacerbation. In patients with pancreatic cancer, serum PLA2 concentration were changed in accord with severity of disease states. After endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, serum PLA2 levels immediately elevated significantly, and returned to basal levels 24 hours later. Serum PLA2 concentrations were within normal range in patients with other malignant tumors, diabetes mellitus, chronic liver diseases, and hypertension, whereas in patients with chronic renal failure serum PLA2 concentrations were elevated. These results suggest that measurement of serum PLA2 can be clinically useful for diagnosis of pancreatitis and monitoring of mild and severe stage of pancreatitis.