Alkaline phosphatase and acid lysosomal hydrolases in pancreatic juice and fibroblast cell cultures of patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis.

Nine lysosomal enzymes and alkaline phosphatase have been assayed in human pancreatic juice from controls and patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis. Specific activities were evaluated by a nonparametric test (Wilcoxon) with a probability of 2 P less than or equal to 0.5. The values of acid phosphatase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase and alpha-galactosidase are significantly higher in pathological juices; the values of alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucuronidase are also increased in the same patients but at the limit of significance. Alkaline phosphatase, beta-hexosaminidase and alpha-fucosidase follows the same trend but the values are not statistically significant between the two groups of patients. Studies on skin cultures of four patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis demonstrate that the increased specific activities of lysosomal enzymes in the pathological juices do not correspond to a leakage of these enzymes into the extracellular space as described for cystic fibrosis.