Comprehensive Stool Analysis / Parasitology

Elastase

Optimal result: 200 – 1000 µg/mL

Mosaic Diagnostics

By Healthmatters Editorial Team

Peer-reviewed sources

There are no problems recorded in medical literature for high levels of Pancreatic Elastase I.

Elastase is a pancreatic enzyme that digests and degrades a number of proteins. A finding of low elastase in a formed stool specimen is an indicator of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.

Moderate pancreatic insufficiency is defined at 100-200 μg/mL, and severe pancreatic insufficiency as <100 μg/mL.

Fecal elastase can be artefactually low due to fluid dilution effects in a loose/watery stool sample. Check the
reported consistency of the stool specimen.

Doctors find that the following conditions are associated with low levels of pancreatic elastase:

- Cystic fibrosis

- Chronic pancreatitis

- Pancreatic cancer

- Inflammatory Bowel Disease

- Gallstones

- Diabetes, Type 1

- Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

Pancreatic elastase is an enzyme that digests protein. It’s only produced by the pancreas and when it is seen in the stool, it’s an excellent biomarker of how well the pancreas is performing.

The pancreatic elastase 1 fecal test is used to diagnose insufficiencies of the pancreas that result in diseases such as:

- Cystic fibrosis

- Chronic pancreatitis

- Pancreatic cancer

- Inflammatory Bowel Disease

- Gallstones

- Diabetes, Type 1

- Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

In many of these conditions, there is often diarrhea, weight loss, undigested food in the stool, and pain in the abdomen. If the condition continues for a longer period of time, then low bone density may be found.

This test is an excellent biomarker for how well the pancreas is working because the enzyme pancreatic elastase I is not broken down by what happens in the intestinal tract. The Elastase I protein is found concentrated in the stool, five times higher than what is found in pancreatic juice.

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Clinical Sources & References

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Written by Healthmatters Editorial Team

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