[A highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay for the determination of pancreatic lipase]

A highly sensitive and specific enzyme immunoassay for the determination of pancreatic lipase is described. The test follows the sandwich principle; total incubation time is 4.5 hours at 20--25 degrees C. Lipase concentrations between 3 and 300 micrograms/1 can be quantified (sample dilution 1 + 10); the lower detection limit is 0.3 micrograms/1 (sample dilution 1 + 1). Coefficients of variation from 2.9 to 6.5% for the in batch precision, and from 4.4 to 10.5% for the day-to day precision were found. A reference range from 7.7 to 56 micrograms/1 was calculated from the lipase concentrations in 369 serum samples from healthy adults (2.5 th--97.5 th percentile, median 23 micrograms/1). Very low concentrations were found in cord blood (median 2.8 micrograms/1). The lipase level remains quite constant between the ages of 3 and 50 years (median 15--20 micrograms/1); at the age of 70 years a median of 26 micrograms/1 is reached.