Evaluation of postoperative exocrine pancreatic function using chymotrypsin labile peptide

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Assessment
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Assessing exocrine pancreatic function is crucial for diagnosing and managing pancreatic diseases.
• Traditional tests may be limited in patients with gastrointestinal reconstruction.
• A reliable, non-invasive method is needed for diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (BT-PABA) test for assessing exocrine pancreatic function.
• To determine the utility of the BT-PABA test in postoperative patients, including those with gastrointestinal reconstruction.
• To compare BT-PABA test results with established pancreatic function parameters.

Main Methods:

• Oral administration of the chymotrypsin-labile peptide BT-PABA.
• Measurement of recovered p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) levels.
• Correlation of PABA recovery with parameters from the secretin-pancreozymin/cholecystokinin (PS) test.

Main Results:

• BT-PABA test demonstrated a significant correlation with PS test parameters.
• Post-Billroth II gastrectomy patients showed reduced PABA recovery (39.8-45.4%) compared to normal subjects (80.6%).
• Pancreatic cancer patients exhibited impaired exocrine function (44.0%), significantly reduced after total pancreatectomy (17.5%).

Conclusions:

• The BT-PABA test is an easy and reliable method for evaluating exocrine pancreatic function.
• It is particularly valuable in postoperative patients with various gastrointestinal reconstructions.
• BT-PABA provides a feasible alternative when the PS test cannot be practically applied.