[Diagnostic significance of pancreatic antigen determination].

In 128 patients with pancreatitis, 34 patients with carcinoma of the pancreas and in a control group (30 healthy persons and 102 patients with other diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract) the circulating pancreas antigen was examined. The antigen was determined in the agar precipitation reaction by means of immune sera of rabbits related to the whole human pancreas extract and to the fractions got in chromatography on Sephadex G 200. The pancreas antigen was proved in all patients with destructive and purulent pancreatitis, in 82% of cases of carcinoma of the pancreas and less frequently in chronic pancreatitis in the exacerbation (50-60%) as well as in the remission phase (30%). In the inflammatory processes the antigen gradually disappeared, in the carcinoma it was permanently found. For inflammations the cathodal pancreas fractions were characteristic, for the tumorous processes the anodal ones. In the inflammatory and tumorous processes of other digestive organs the antigen was proved in 25% of the cases. These reactions partly show that the pancreas is involved into the process (penetration of the ulcer, ingrowing of the tumor into the pancreas and so on), but in some cases the reactions may be conditioned by general antigens of the pancreas and of other digestive organs.