An enzymatic method for calibration of serum lipase assays.

Abstract

An enzymatic method for the calibration of a turbidimetric lipase assay is described, based on measurement of free fatty acids liberated by the action of lipase. The substrate of the turbidimetric assay is a colipase-containing triolein emulsion. For determination of the free fatty acids a commercial test kit including acyl-CoA synthetase, acyl-CoA oxidase, and peroxidase is used. Intra- and interassay imprecision (CV) is about 5% at above-normal lipase activities, about 10% at normal values. Temperature coefficients are 1.24 and 1.45, respectively, for measurements at 30 and 37 degrees C vs 25 degrees C.

Clinical chemistry

“…Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and reliability are significantly improved in methods recently developed (225,(230)(231)(232): determination of pancreas specific amylase, determination of lipase in the presence of colipase as turbidimetric or spectrophotometric assay (233,234), or immunological determination of lipase (235) or trypsin (236). Determinations of phospholipase A2 (237, 238) and other pancreatic enzymes (239) have recently been reported and their value in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer has been discussed.…”