| Theme | The Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders -- Clinical Practice Based on the Understanding of Its Basic Mechanisms | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Evaluation of Exocrine Pancreatic Function Employing 13C Breath Tests | |
| Publish Date | 2009/11 | |
| Author | Atsufumi Matsumoto | Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine |
| Author | Yusuke Tando | Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine |
| Author | Miyuki Yanagimachi | Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine |
| Author | Teruo Nakamura | Department of Health Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] | We defined exocrine pancreatic insufficiency as levels of over 5g of fecal fat excretion per day with meals having levels of fat higher than 40g/day. We should provide replacement therapy for patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency by administering pancreatic enzyme preparations. However, it is not easy to evaluate exocrine pancreatic insufficiency by determining fecal fat excretion. Because of this a new method for diagnosing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency was developed. This method was a breath test using 13C-labelled compounds. By employing a breath test using 13C-mixed neutral lipids, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency could be detected with 76.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity by determining recovery rates of cumulative 13C over a period of 7 to 8 hours. A breath test using 13C-mixed neutral lipids can be utilized to monitor the effects of pancreatic enzyme replacement. On the other hand, a breath test using Benzoyl-LTyrosyl-[l-13C] Alanine, can be used to determine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency with 93.8% sensitivity and 92.3% specificity with a ∆13CO2 peak value in 3 hours. These breath tests are very useful for diagnosing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, because they are non-invasive, safe and repeatable methods. |
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