Faecal elastase

Description: 
GI Function Test: Faecal Elastase assayed by enzyme immunoassay.
Clinical details: 
Human pancreatic elastase 1 (E1) remains undegraded during intestinal transit. Therefore its concentration in faeces reflects exocrine pancreatic function. The stool test quantifies E1 in faeces, allowing the diagnosis or exclusion of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency which can be caused by chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes mellitus, cholelithiasis (gallstones), ‘failure to thrive’, pancreatic cancer or papillary stenosis. E1 is recommended by the British Society of Gastroenterology for non-invasive pancreatic function testing and results correlate with the gold standard invasive secretin-pancreozymin test and the secretin-caerulein test. The method used is the ScheBo® Pancreatic Elastase 1 Stool Test which is an ELISA method using a monoclonal antibody which only recognises human E1.
Reference range: 

Normal: 200 - >500 µg E1/g faeces

Moderate to mild exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: 100 – 200 µg E1/g faeces

Severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: <100 µg E1/g faeces

Department: 
Reference Biochemistry Department
Location: 
King's College Hospital
Sample type and Volume required: 
Random faecal sample (any time of day, no dietary restrictions required) in a plain universal container and approximately 1 gram in weight.

NOTE: Samples grossly contaminated with blood and/or a lot of fibrous matter, hard stools, mucous samples, neonatal samples and watery stool samples are unsuitable for E1 assay.
Turnaround time: 
14 working days.
Criteria for acceptance / rejections of sample
Storage and transport: 
Faecal Elastase samples are stable at 4°C for up to 3 days. For Long term storage, samples can be stored at -20°C for up to twelve months. Send samples by 1st class post, it would be preferable to receive samples frozen / on - ice
Contacts:
Reference Biochemistry Department at King's College Hospital
020 3299 4107
King's College Hospital
Denmark Hill
London SE5 9RS
Porphyrins and Gastrointestinal Laboratory at King's College Hospital
Porphyrins - 020 3299 3856
King's College Hospital
Denmark Hill
London SE5 9RS
For clinical advice or interpretation of results, please contact the laboratory in the first instance.
Laboratory: 
Porphyrins and Gastrointestinal Laboratory at King's College Hospital

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Last updated: 06/06/2017