Summary
Duodenal intubation and stimulation with secretin (1 U./kg. body weight and 3 U./kg. body weight) were performed in 20 normal subjects and 18 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 4 with alcoholic cirrhosis, 4 with carcinoma of the pancreas, and 2 with hyperparathyroidism. Calcium, bicarbonate, and amylase content of the duodenal fluid was estimated.
Basal fasting calcium concentration in normal subjects was 3.0 mg./100 ml.; after the injection of secretin, 1 U./kg. body weight, the concentration was 2.3 mg./100 ml. Larger doses of secretin produced a fall in calcium concentration to a low of 1.8 mg./100 ml. with 3 U./kg. body weight, but the rate of secretion of calcium was independent of secretin dose.
Subjects with chronic pancreatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis had increased basal and postsecretin concentration of calcium in duodenal fluid, but the output of calcium was more variable. Two patients with hyperparathyroidism had evidence of normal pancreatic function in response to standard secretin tests, but showed increased calcium concentration in basal fasting juice.
The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of pancreatic calcification and the association between pancreatitis and hyperparathyroidism.
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The technical assistance of Miss S. Arunsakul is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also due to Boots Co. and Vitrum Co. for generous grants of secretin.
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Hansky, J. Calcium content of duodenal juice. Digest Dis Sci 12, 725–733 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02238282
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02238282