What is amylase?
Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down large sugar molecules, making them more digestible. In the human body, there are two different types of amylase that break down sugar at different sites: The alpha-amylases and the beta-amylases.
Amylase is found in the saliva of the oral cavity and in the pancreas. If sugar is ingested with food, it is broken down into smaller units by the salivary amylases while still in the oral cavity. The pancreas releases amylases into the small intestine. There, the sugar molecules are broken down further until they can finally be absorbed through the intestinal wall into the blood.
When is amylase determined?
The doctor has the amylase concentration in the blood determined primarily when a patient is suffering from severe pain in the upper abdomen and fever. In some cases, an inflamed pancreas may be the cause of these complaints. Determination of the total amylase concentration or the concentration of pancreatic amylase can support this tentative diagnosis if the concentration of amylase is elevated in the blood.
Amylase reference values
The amylase concentration in blood serum is normally below 100 U/l (enzyme activity units = units per liter).
The following standard values apply to the amylase concentration in urine (spontaneous urine):
|
Age |
female |
male |
|
up to 12 months |
20 – 110 U/l |
11 – 105 U/l |
|
1 to 16 years |
15 – 151 U/l |
11 – 162 U/l |
|
from 17 years |
< 460 U/l |
< 460 U/l |
The normal values may differ, depending on the measurement method used. In individual cases, the normal ranges indicated on the respective laboratory findings always apply.
When is the amylase concentration in the blood elevated?
The amylase concentration may be elevated in the following cases:
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Pancreatic tumors
- Inflammation of the parotid gland (for example, in mumps): In this case, only the concentration of salivary amylase is elevated
- Kidney weakness (renal insufficiency)
In the case of the above-mentioned diseases, other laboratory values in addition to amylase must be determined to confirm the diagnosis, and further tests must be performed.
What to do if the amylase concentration in the blood is elevated?
If the amylase value is elevated, it is not yet possible to diagnose a specific disease. Rather, further blood values must then be determined to clarify the cause. If the amylase level is elevated in the blood because of pancreatitis, the concentration is frequently
