Evaluate pancreatic disease.

Amylase is primarily produced in the pancreas and salivary glands. Isoenzymes may be used to determine the source of an elevated amylase concentration. Measurement of pancreatic amylase activity is of value in diagnosing pancreatitis and other pancreatic disorders which result in elevation of serum and urine amylase.

Gold serum separator (SST) tube

Immediately following collection, thoroughly mix sample by gently inverting 5 times

1. Allow sample to clot for a 30 minutes
2. Spin immediately

Gold serum separator (SST) tube

Red serum vial/tube, 5 mL

Dk green Lithium heparin (Li hep), no gel

Dk green:

Immediately following collection, mix sample thoroughly by gently inverting 8 - 10 times to prevent clotting

Red:

1. Allow sample to clot 
2. Spin within 30 minutes of sample collection
3. Immediately transfer serum to a Transfer vial/tube with cap - 12mL (LabCorp), labelled as serum

Dk green:

1. Spin within 30 minutes of sample collection
2. Immediately transfer plasma to a Transfer vial/tube with cap - 12mL (LabCorp), labelled as Li hep plasma

Transfer vial/tube with cap - 12mL (LabCorp)

Ambient (preferred ) - 7 days

Refrigerated - 30 days

• Hemolysis
• Use of anticoagulants other than lithium heparin (citrate and fluoride inhibit the assay reaction)

Salivary amylase is inhibited by specific antibodies and the remaining pancreatic amylase is determined by an enzymatic, colorimetric method.

0 - 1 years:     Not established
2 - 17 years:   12 – 40 Units/L
18 - 60 years: 14 – 55 Units/L
>60 years:      13 - 72 Units/L

Macroamylases are sometimes present in sera. These rare forms are probably complexes between ordinary amylase (usually S-type) and IgA, IgG, or other high molecular weight plasma proteins. These macroamylases cannot be filtered through the glomeruli of the kidney because of their large size (MW >200,000) and are thus retained in the plasma where their presence may increase amylase activity to some six- to eightfold over that observed in health. In macroamylasemia, amylase activity in the urine is lower than normal, since less amylase is cleared by the kidneys. No clinical symptoms are associated with this disorder; however, many of these cases have been detected following investigation of abdominal pain.