Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
False positive fecal elastase tests in dogs with suspected pancreatic
By Steiner, J M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of fecal elastase and serum cholecystokinin in dogs with a false positive fecal elastase test.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suspected of having exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) had fecal tests that indicated low pancreatic elastase levels, but many of these results turned out to be false positives. In fact, 23% of the dogs had normal levels of a different enzyme, suggesting that the fecal test alone isn't reliable for diagnosing EPI. The study found that dogs with true positive results had higher levels of a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) compared to those with false positives. This indicates that other health issues might be affecting pancreatic function, so vets should confirm EPI diagnoses with additional tests.
People also search for: dog EPI symptoms · false positive fecal elastase test · cholecystokinin levels in dogs · diagnosing pancreatic issues in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: An assay for the measurement of pancreatic elastase in dog feces has been introduced. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate the rate of false-positive fecal-elastase test results in dogs with suspected exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and to assess serum cholecystokinin (CCK) concentrations in dogs with a false positive fecal elastase test result. ANIMALS: Twenty-six fecal and serum samples from dogs suspected of EPI, for which samples had been submitted to a commercial laboratory (Vet Med Labor) for analysis. METHODS: Prospective study. Serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) was measured in 26 dogs with a decreased fecal elastase concentration of <10 microg/g feces. Serum CCK concentrations were measured in 21 of these dogs. RESULTS: Of 26 dogs with a decreased fecal elastase concentration, 6 (23%) had serum TLI concentrations within or above the reference range. Serum CCK concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with a true positive fecal elastase test result (median: 1.1 pmol/L; range: 0.1-3.3 pmol/L) than in those with a false positive fecal elastase test result (median: 0.1 pmol/L; range: 0.1-0.9 pmol/L; P value = .0163). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The rate of false positive fecal elastase test results was high in this group of dogs, suggesting that diagnosis of EPI must be confirmed by other means. The decreased CCK concentration in dogs with a false positive fecal elastase test result could suggest that false positive results are because of decreased stimulation of exocrine pancreatic function caused by other conditions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20337909/