Related Experiment Videos
Immunoreactive trypsin in cystic fibrosis
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|January 1, 1984
Summary
Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) using blood immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) is effective and cost-efficient. Elevated IRT levels in CF patients correlate with pancreatic function, aiding in diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Elevated blood immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been observed since 1979.
- Mass newborn screening for CF using IRT assays is practical and cost-effective compared to other screening programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand the importance of elevated IRT in CF infants.
- To evaluate the practicality and cost-effectiveness of mass newborn screening for CF using IRT.
- To explore the relationship between IRT levels and pancreatic exocrine function in CF patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies on IRT levels in CF infants and patients.
- Comparison of IRT screening costs with existing programs.
- Analysis of IRT levels in relation to pancreatic enzyme secretion in CF patients.
Main Results:
- Mass newborn screening for CF using IRT is feasible and detects nearly all CF newborns.
- IRT levels in older CF patients reflect pancreatic exocrine function, differentiating between preserved and diminished secretion.
- An altered relationship between pancreatic exocrine secretion and circulating IRT exists in all CF patients.
Conclusions:
- IRT is a valuable biomarker for newborn screening of CF.
- IRT levels can assist in assessing pancreatic function in CF patients.
- A secretory obstructive defect, reflected in altered IRT levels, is a common feature in CF patients.