A rapid and sensitive turbidimetric method for serum lipase based upon differences between the lipases of normal and pancreatitis serum.

A rapid turbidimetric method for the determination of serum lipase is described. The substrate is a nearly pure triglyceride in Tris buffer, with sodium deoxycholate as the emulsifying agent. The method is equal in sensitivity to the titrimetric measure of serum lipase using a modified Cherry-Crandall substrate. The serum of patients with acute pancreatitis contains a lipase with optimal action at pH 9.1 and sodium deoxycholate concentration of 0.35%. These are different from the optimal pH and bile salt requirement for lipase activity in normal serum or duodenal contents.