Urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip for acute pancreatitis

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Distinguishing acute pancreatitis from other causes of abdominal pain is clinically challenging.
• A simple, rapid, and accurate diagnostic test for acute pancreatitis remains elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a novel urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip for acute pancreatitis.
• To compare the test strip results with laboratory measurements of urinary trypsinogen-2.

Main Methods:

• A monoclonal antibody-based test strip detecting urinary trypsinogen-2 concentrations above 50 microgram/L was used.
• Urinary trypsinogen-2 levels were measured in surgical patients with confirmed acute pancreatitis (n=57) and extrapancreatic abdominal pain (n=40).
• Orthopaedic patients (n=57) served as an additional control group.

Main Results:

• The test strip demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing acute pancreatitis.
• Positive results were observed in 52 of 57 pancreatitis patients, with only four false positives in 40 extrapancreatic controls.
• Test strip results showed good agreement with laboratory measurements, with only three discrepancies at the 50 microgram/L cut-off.

Conclusions:

• The urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip is a promising rapid diagnostic tool for acute pancreatitis.
• Further validation in consecutive patient series with undiagnosed abdominal pain is warranted.