[Pancreatic enzyme elevations in Korean chronic renal failure patients]

Increased levels of pancreatic enzymes have been reported in patients with renal insufficiency even in the absence of pancreatic diseases. Here, we analyzed serum amylase and lipase levels in chronic renal failure patients according to the degree of azotemia and the treatment modality.

Serum amylase and lipase levels were reviewed in 95 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, 105 patients on hemodialysis, 71 patients with renal transplantation, and 73 patients without treatment. Age and sex matched 344 normal healthy controls were selected among those who checked their serum amylase and lipase levels during the same study period.

Mean value of amylase level in the patient group (93.7+/-76.5 U/L) was higher than healthy controls (63.8+/-21.4 U/L) (p<0.001) and lipase level in the patient group (212.3+/-195.0 U/L) was higher than healthy control (95.2+/-45.1 U/L) (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in amylase and lipase levels according to the treatment modality in the patient group. The correlations between creatinine clearance and amylase (r=-0.148, p=0.012) or lipase (r=-0.119, p=0.042) were found to be inverse only when the creatinine clearance falls below 50 mL/min.

Serum amylase and lipase levels are about 1.5 times and 2.2 times higher in chronic renal failure patients than healthy controls regardless of treatment modality. The elevations of amylase and lipase levels are inversely correlated with creatinine clearance when it falls below 50 mL/min.