pH and concentration of pancreatic enzymes in aspirates from the human duodenum during digestion of a standard meal in patients with biliary or hepatic disorders.

The material comprises 34 patients with anicteric biliary diseases, 20 with obstructive jaundice, 8 with hepatic cirrhosis, and 3 with haemochromatosis. The intestinal contents were aspirated in four subsequent periods of 20 minutes each after ingestion of a standard meal. The volume, pH, and the concentration of alpha-amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin and lipase were determined in the collections. The concentration of lipase was more markedly reduced than concentrations of amylase and of trypsin in patients with anicteric biliary diseases and in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Concentrations of enzymes below the lowest normal value throughout the period of digestion represented an uncommon finding. The exocrine pancreatic function is rarely found to be reduced in patients with biliary or with hepatic disorders.