Serum Enzymes and Disease (B2-5)

Tissue injury often results in the leakage of large amounts of cellular enzymes into the circulatory system and measurements of the amounts and types of enzymes in serum are frequently made for the diagnosis of human disease. For example, inflammation of the pancreas is accompanied by the release of pancreatic amylase and proteases into the blood stream. In this exercise, students determine the levels of amylase and proteases in serum and compare these levels to those found in saliva and pancreatic extracts.