Composition of pure pancreatic juice in normal human subjects and in pancreatic disease.

Pure pancreatic juice (PPJ) was collected at endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography from patients with or without pancreatic disease. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of PPJ proteins demonstrated a wide heterogeneity of proteins, differing in molecular weight and isoelectric points. There was one major difference in the protein patterns between normals and those with chronic pancreatitis. A glycoprotein has been identified and shown to be present in 28/30 patients without pancreatic disease, but absent in 11 or greatly reduced in 8 of 19 patients with mild pancreatitis and absent in all 13 patients with moderate or marked pancreatitis and both patients with pancreatic carcinoma.