Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity (PLI)

Indications for performing this test: Pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disorder in the dog, and probably in cats as well. However, the true incidence of the disease in unknown since many dogs and cats have subclinical or mild disease and are not presented to a veterinarian. In spite of the many advances in the diagnosis of canine and feline pancreatitis the diagnosis remains challenging in many cases. Conventional diagnostic testing, including CBC, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis and abdominal imaging may not give direct information regarding the intestinal tract and pancreas. In fact, all of the above tests may be normal, yet the animal still has clinical signs of intestinal disease. Serum lipase activity lacks sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of pancreatitis in dogs, and especially in cats. Recently, pancreas specific enzyme tests have been developed to aid in the diagnosis of pancreatitis in these species.

New Developments in Diagnosing Pancreatitis: Many cell types secrete lipases; hence, serum lipase activity is not specific for pancreatitis or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).  Pancreatic lipase is a more specific marker for the pancreas, which has led to the development of a test for measurement of canine pancreatic lipase. Canine pancreatic lipase has been shown to be significantly decreased in dogs with EPI. Serum pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) concentration is highly specific for exocrine pancreatic function and is also highly sensitive for pancreatitis.  The test is an immunoassay and typically requires about 5-7 days to get results.

A serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) test was recently developed and preliminary findings suggest that this test is more sensitive than any other diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of feline pancreatitis. The current “gold standard” for diagnosing pancreatitis is pancreatic biopsy for histologic evaluation.

Further studies to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of serum fPLI for the diagnosis of feline exocrine pancreatic disorders are in progress.   (Annual ACVIM Forum Proceedings, Charlotte, NC, June, 2003)

Canine and feline PLI tests appear to have promise for diagnosing pancreatic disease in both species.