Interpretation
Mainly used to monitor cystic fibrosis patients on supplementation.
Chymotrypsin is a pancreatic enzyme, released into pancreatic duct, responsible for digestion of proteins in the gut. A reduced faecal chymotrypsin has been used as a marker for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.
Chymotrypsin, however has a lower sensitivity and specificity for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency compared with faecal elastase. The sensitivity of faecal chymotrypsin for mild to moderate and advanced pancreatic insufficiency is 49 and 85 percent, respectively.
In subjects with exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, there is less chymotrypsin activity. The exception is in patients with watery diarrhoea where levels may appear normal, possibly due to reduced proteolytic degradation from a rapid transit time, thus higher levels.
Chymotrypsin is affected by exogenous supplementation and is thus helpful for monitoring dosing adequacy. When chymotrypsin concentration falls within the reference range in supplemented individuals, appropriate dosage of digestive enzymes is being administered.
Test Method
Enzymatic with colourimetric rate reaction
