[Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) (author's transl)].

Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) can be reproducible measured in serum and tissue extracts by mean of a standardized radioimmunoassay. Dispite extensive investigations into the biological actions of the polypeptide and a range of radioimmunological measurements in serum and tissue the physiological significance of PP is, at present, unclear. The normal postprandial increase of serum PP levels has been reported to be lacking after vagotomy and reduced in patients with chronic pancreatitis. If these observations can be confirmed then PP measurement may be a clinically usefull criterion as to the effectiveness of vagotomy and as an indicator for chronic pancreatic disease.