[Significance of the oral NBT-PABA test for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis]

Abstract

The documentation of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is important for the clinical diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. The NBT-PABA test (Bentiromide test) depends on the cleavage peptide NBT-PABA by chymotrypsin and the quantitation of released PABA in serum or urine. The sensitivity of the oral NBT-PABA test is nearly as high as that of the much more demanding secretin-CCK test and the specificity is excellent as well. The NBT-PABA test is a simple and valuable aid for the clinical diagnosis and follow-up of patients with chronic pancreatitis.