Study on the exocrine pancreatic function by the oral administration of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-para-aminobenzoic acid.

N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (Bz-ty-PABA) was orally administered to 11 controls, 10 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 7 patients with diabetes mellitus and 6 patients with liver cirrhosis. The cumulative 6 h recovery rate of PABA in the urine was significantly lower (P less than 0.005) in patients with chronic pancreatitis (49.1 + or - 10.1 percent), diabetes mellitus (50.4 + or - 20.4 percent) and liver cirrhosis (52.5 + or - 13.0 percent) than in the control group (79.5 + or - 12.0 percent) (mean + or -S.D.). This test is considered to be useful in the diagnosis of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, especially in chronic pancreatitis. Patients with diabetes mellitus frequently has demonstrable abnormality of pancreatic exocrine function. Liver cirrhosis causing severe impairment of liver functions seemed to interfer with the elimination of PABA.