Miscellaneous Lipase

Body fluid specimen, including but not limited to: Cerebrospinal Fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, or synovial fluid. Note fluid type in order comments or on patient specimen label.

Collect body fluid in a body fluid collection bag or other sterile container and transport to lab. Refrigerate if transport will be delayed. Note fluid type in order comments or on patient specimen label.

This test is for Lipase measurement on body fluids.  For Lipase measurement on Serum or Plasma, order LIP.

Body fluid collection bag or sterile container

Daily upon receipt

This test is useful for ivestigating pancreatic disorders, usually pancreatitis or pancreatic pseudocysts.

Lipases are enzymes that hydrolyze glycerol esters of long-chain fatty acids and produce fatty acids and 1-acylglycerol. Bile salts and a cofactor, colipase, are required for full catalytic activity and greatest specificity. The pancreas is the primary source of serum lipase. Both lipase and colipase are synthesized in the pancreatic acinar cells and secreted by the pancreas in roughly equimolar amounts. Serum lipase is filtered and reabsorbed by the kidneys. Pancreatic injury results in increased serum lipase levels.

In pancreatitis, serum lipase becomes elevated at about the same time as serum amylase (in 4-8 hours). But serum lipase may rise to a greater extent and remain elevated much longer (7-10 days) than serum amylase. Elevations in serum lipase up to 50 times the upper reference values have been reported. The increase in serum lipase is not necessarily proportional to the severity of the attack and normalization is not necessarily a sign of resolution.

Both lipase and amylase should be very elevated in peritoneal fluid arising from the pancreas. Values in fluid of pancreatic origin should be at least several-fold higher than serum drawn at the same time, even in acute pancreatitis.

Very high values are consistent with pancreatic pseudocysts.