[The specificity of peptide-PABA-test (author's transl)].

Exocrine pancreatic function was determined by oral administration of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (peptic-PABA-test) in 120 controls, 74 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 35 patients with acute pancreatitis 2--6 weeks after recovery, 201 patients with a variety of gastro-intestinal diseases and in 10 patients with anorexia nervosa. In the control group, 70% +/- 18% of the oral administered dose of PABA was found within 6 hours in the urine. In contrast the group of chronic pancreatic patients excreted only 40% +/- 13% over the same period. "False negative" PABA excretion was found in 11 (9%) of the 120 persons with no pancreas disease. "False positive" PABA excretion was found in 13 (17,5%) of the 74 patients with chronic pancreatitis. The test was not influenced by age or sex. After stomach resection or cholecystectomy and in patients with ulcus duodeni, chronic hepatitis, functional diarrhea, Crohn's disease, colitis ulcerosa and acute pancreatitis 2--6 weeks after recovery the peptide-PABA-test was not distored. Diminished PABA excretion was encountered in some patients with toxic liver disease, inflammatory disease of the small intensine like M. Whipple, celiac disease and unspecific enteritis and in a few patients with cholelithiasis. Low PABA excretion was found in early all patients with partial small intestinal resection, terminal liver cirrhosis or liver metastasis with ascites and in all patients with anorexia nervosa.