[Determination of fecal alpha-amylase activity in the diagnosis of chronic duodenitis].

Amylasorrhea has been detected in 92-97 percent of 190 patients suffering from chronic duodenitis, 40 of these children and 50 ones with concomitant imbalance of colonic microflora, during acutely or moderately manifest catarrhal and erosive mucosal abnormalities. This condition was somewhat more marked in the children and in the patients with colonic microflora imbalance, but less acute than in acute intestinal dysfunctions such as dysentery. A characteristic feature of duodenitis-associated amylasorrhea is the predominance of a thermolabile pancreatic fraction of amylase (a small-intestinal component of amylase); in cases with concomitant colonic microflora imbalance the share of thermostable intestinal fraction (amylase large-intestinal component) grows reaching its maximum in dysentery. In chronic duodenitis amylasorrhea is regularly detectable over the course of many years; whereas in dysentery it is more manifest though not lasting. Transient impaired membranous digestion involving a reduction of the intestinal surface to adsorb pancreatic amylase appears to be responsible for duodenitis associated amylase thin-intestinal component.