Faecal Elastase
Code:
ELAST
Sample Type:
Faeces (Blue Topped 30 mL container with Spoon)
Minimum volume: Please ensure that there is at least half a heaped spoonful of faecal material in the specimen container.
Ref Ranges/Units:
>200 μg/g – normal exocrine pancreatic function
100-200 μg/g – moderate pancreatic insufficiency
<100 μg/g – severe pancreatic insufficiency
Turnaround:
Within 2 weeks
Special Precautions/Comments:
Must be a fresh sample and must have solid material for analysis.
Please note that specimens of a liquid/mucous nature, or consisting of undigested food, are unsuitable for this assay and cannot be processed.
Additional Information:
Elastase is an enzyme specifically produced by the pancreas. Elastase is not degraded in the intestine and is normally present in faeces. Faecal elastase is therefore a useful marker of exocrine pancreatic function.
Reduced levels of faecal elastase can indicate pancreatic insufficiency, which may be seen in conditions such as chronic pancreatitis, inherited conditions such as cystic fibrosis and in pancreato-biliary tumours.
South of Tyne & Wear Pathology Centre
