pH and Concentration of Pancreatic Enzymes in Aspirates from the Human Duodenum during Digestion of a Standard Meal in Patients with Pancreatic Diseases

The material comprises 28 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 30 patients with cancer of the head of the pancreas. The intestinal contents were aspirated in four subsequent periods of 20 minutes each after ingestion of a standard meal. The volume, pH, and the concentrations of α-amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and lipase were determined in the collections. The pH was not below normal level in patients with chronic pancreatitis. In both groups of patients, variations in secretion of the different enzymes seemed to be analogous. In patients with chronic pancreatitis, concentrations of all enzymes were below normal level in all tests but one. In about 25 per cent of the patients with pancreatic cancer, concentrations of enzymes were within normal range in all collections. The meal test described is found to be of value for the diagnosis: pancreatogenic malabsorption, but of very limited value for the diagnosis: pancreatic cancer.