Amylase - what is it and what function does it perform in the body? This term is understood as a whole group of enzymes, which are united under the general name - "amylase". There are three varieties of this substance: alpha, beta and gamma. For the human body, alpha-amylase is of particular importance. We will talk about her now.
Where is it synthesized?
Amylase - what is it? The name of this enzyme comes from the Greek word "amylon", which means "starch" in Russian. In the human body, amylase is found in a number of tissues and organs. It is an enzyme (hydrolase) that breaks down complex carbohydrates. The concentration of this enzyme is quite high in the pancreas. It is synthesized by the acinar cells of this organ and is secreted through the pancreatic ducts into the digestive tract, more precisely into the duodenum. In addition to the pancreas, the salivary glands are also capable of synthesizing amylase. An enzyme contained in saliva initiates the hydrolysis of starch when food is stillis located in the oral cavity. Thus, the process of digestion begins as soon as food enters the mouth.
Amylase level analysis
Amylase - what is it? How to determine its level in the human body? The fact is that the pancreas, where this enzyme is produced, is very well supplied with blood. Normally, part of the enzyme (its minimum amount) enters the bloodstream. Further, this hydrolase, passing through the kidneys, is excreted along with the urine.
blood alpha amylase - what is it? We'll talk about this in more detail below.
When is the test scheduled?
Helps to assess the condition of the body blood test. Amylase - what is it, in what diseases does it increase in the blood? The level of alpha-amylase in blood plasma can increase several times with the following pathologies:
- Acute or chronic pancreatitis during an exacerbation.
- Pancreonecrosis focal.
- Oncology of the pancreas.
- Cholelithiasis (in the presence of individual stones in the ductal system).
- Acute appendicitis.
- Kidney failure.
- Stomach bleeding.
- Intestinal obstruction.
- Alcoholism and alcohol intoxication.
- AIDS.
- Viral hepatitis.
- Mumps.
- Sarcoidosis.
- Typhoid.
- Injuries to the abdominal cavity (upper section).
Alpha-amylase levels are low or not detected at all in casestotal necrosis of the pancreas, with oncology of this organ of the 4th stage, because gland tissue is replaced by tumor, as well as cystic fibrosis (congenital pathology). During surgical interventions, when a significant part of the gland is removed, the level of amylase can also be sharply reduced.
In what conditions does amylase increase in the blood?
Blood amylase - what is it and how does this indicator change in pancreatic pathologies? In acute pancreatitis, it increases sharply within 4-6 hours after the onset of an attack and continues to be at a high level for up to five days. An increase in the enzymatic activity of amylase in the blood plasma usually does not depend on the severity of the disease. More often the opposite. With the destruction of the pancreas, a significant increase in the concentration of pancreatic alpha-amylase is not observed. And an increase in its level may indicate an increased release of amylase into the general circulation.
In what cases is it possible to increase its concentration in the blood? This can usually be observed under the following conditions:
- Hypersecretion of pancreatic juice.
- Violation of the full outflow of pancreatic secretions through the pancreatic ducts into the duodenum.
- Inflammation of the pancreas itself or organs close to it. The temperature of the inflamed organs rises and the blood flow in them increases, so there is an increased release of the enzyme into the blood.
- Injuries to the pancreas.
- Irregular diet and alcohol abuse.
Urine diastasis
When glomerular filtration occurs, amylase is excreted, half of it is reabsorbed by the tubules. The remaining half is excreted in the urine. An increase in urine diastase is observed under the same conditions as an increase in its concentration in the blood. It should be noted that the activity of amylase in the urine is approximately 10 times higher than its activity in the blood.
Amylase - what is it and what are the acceptable norms for this indicator in the blood and urine? This will be discussed further.
Alpha-amylase - what is it? Normal values in blood and urine
When reading the results of the analysis for amylase, you should pay attention to the units in which it is expressed. It is customary to use "u/l" - units of amylase per liter of blood and "mkkatal/l" - microkatal in one liter. It should be clarified here that "katal" is a unit for measuring the activity of a catalyst.
Also, in different laboratories, the methods and reagents for determining amylase may differ slightly, so you should pay attention to the norms of this indicator, which are always indicated next to the result of the study. The first digit is the minimum value, the second is the maximum.
The norms of blood alpha-amylase and urine diastase are shown in the table below:
| Name of analysis |
Norm in mkkatal/l |
Norm in U/L |
| blood alpha amylase | 15-30 | 17-100 |
| Urine diastasis | 25-100 | up to 1000 |
In cases where there is a slight increase in performance (by several units) and a person feels good, this is not a pathology. You need to worry when increasing the values of amylase several times. Attacks of acute pancreatitis can give an increase in urine diastase and blood amylase by 100 times or more. Usually these attacks are accompanied by nausea, vomiting and severe pain. This condition requires immediate hospitalization.
How to take a blood and urine amylase test?
Blood for this analysis is taken from a vein. Usually it is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, but if you need to determine the level of amylase urgently, for example, during an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, this can be done at any time. Such an analysis can be performed by any biochemical laboratory. As a rule, enzymatic methods for diagnosing amylase activity are used in modern laboratories. This is a specific and precise method. Analysis is fast enough.
It is also better to take a urine test for diastasis in the morning. An average portion of urine is taken and immediately delivered to the laboratory. Studies of this indicator are of great importance in the diagnosis of various diseases.
