INCREASED DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF PFD BY ORAL ADMINI- STRATION OF PABA (PABA ABSORPTION TEST)

Abstract

It has been noted that PFD, an oral exocrine pancreatic function test, is valuable in clinical practice. The 6hr-urirany excretion of PABA was reduced in 24 percent of patients with some diseases except pancreatic disease. Particulary, it was significantly reduced in the patients with renal and liver diseases comparing with normal subjects, and even in normal subjects it was also reduced in the elderly (over 70 years old).
We tried to increase the diagnostic ability of PFD as exocrine pancreatic function test by means of PABA absorption test. PABA absorption test was carried out in the same as PFD by oral administration of PABA instead of BTPABA. The ratio of 6hr-urinary excretion of PABA in the PFD and PABA absorption test (PFD/PABA) was significantly reduced in the patients with pancreatic insufficiency, but was not in other diseases. Furthermore, it was constant at all age groups in normal subjects.
These data indicate that PABA absorption test can exclude the interrupting factors to PFD and that the combination of PFD and PABA absorption test can improve the diagnostic value of PFD by increasing the specificity as an exocrine pancreatic function test.