Serum Proteolytic Enzyme Activity in Pancreatic Disease

Abstract

RECENT reports have stressed the diagnostic value of measuring serum proteolytic activity in patients with pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma.^{1 2 3 4} Nardi,¹ utilizing a synthetic substrate, benzoyl-l-arginine amide hydrochloride, observed an increase in serum proteolytic activity. This was initially considered due to an elevation of serum trypsin.^{1 , 2} Brown⁴ confirmed the finding of increased proteolytic enzyme activity in pancreatic disease by measuring the hydrolysis of a similar synthetic substrate, benzoy l-l-arginine ethyl-ester hydrochloride. He chose to describe this as arginine exopeptidase, noting that it represented nonspecific arginine-ester hydrolysis and not merely trypsin activity.This report concerns our observations of serum proteolytic activity in . . .