Total amylase and salivary- and pancreatic-type isoamylase levels were assayed in sera from 606 apparently healthy adults of different sex and age groups. There were significant differences in both total amylase and isoamylase levels, depending on age and sex, one of the characteristics being that levels of these three enzymes were significantly higher in the elderly group in both men and women than in other age groups. Another feature was that all of these enzyme levels were significantly greater in women in the third and fourth decade than in men. Age and sex differences should be taken into consideration in the evaluation of mild hyperamylasemia.

Pancreatic-type isoamylase (P-type) and salivary-type isoamylase (S-type) activities were determined by the wheat protein inhibitor method in 29 patients with end-stage renal disease and in 38 healthy volunteers. Serum levels of total amylase (322 +/- 43 units/liter) and P-type (212 +/- 39 units/liter) in ESRD were significantly higher than those of controls (total: 142 +/- 7 units/liter, P less than 0.01; P-type: 52 +/- 4 units/liter, P less than 0.01). There was no significant difference between S-type activities in ESRD (110 +/- 16 units/liter) and in controls (90 +/- 6 units/liter). The ratios of amylase clearance to creatinine clearance (Cam/Ccr) and S-type clearance to creatinine clearance (Cs-amy/Ccr) rose significantly in ESRD(Cam/Ccr: 5.7 +/- 0.6%; Cs-amy/Ccr: 4.3 +/- 0.55%) compared to controls (Cam/Ccr: 3.2 +/- 0.24%, P less than 0.01; Cs-amy/Ccr: 2.1 +/- 0.17%, P less than 0.01). The ratio of P-type clearance to creatinine clearance (Cp-amy/Ccr) revealed no significant difference between ESRD (5.5 +/- 0.54%) and controls (5.6 +/- 0.42%). The renal excretion of P-type appeared to be more impaired than that of S-type in ESRD.

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Serum levels of total amylase and P-type, and S-type isoamylase were measured in 57 patients with chronic parotid swelling (41 men and 16 women; mean age 60.4) and the same number of age- and sex-matched control individuals without parotid swelling (41 men and 16 women; mean age 60.3). None of the three enzyme measurements differed significantly between patients with parotid swelling and control subjects. It is concluded that chronic enlargement of parotid glands does not affect serum isoamylase level.