Comparison of amylase and lipase activities in serum and plasma of dogs.

Abstract

Amylase and lipase activities are most often determined in serum, although heparinized plasma is more convenient to obtain and is used for many routine biochemical analyses. The purpose of this study was to compare amylase and lipase activities in serum and plasma of dogs and to determine whether either specimen type is acceptable for analysis. Serum and heparinized plasma were obtained from 101 randomly selected dogs and analyzed in parallel for alpha-amylase and lipase. Results were compared using Passing-Bablock regression, Bland-Altman difference plots, and correlation analysis. There was a high correlation between the results obtained from serum and those from plasma. Regressions (with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses) were as follows: lipase(plasma) = 0.984 (0.976/0.995) Chi lipase(serum) - 0.9 (2.9/0.7) (r =.999); a-amylase(plasma) = 1.003 (0.977/1.032) Chi alpha-amylase(serum) - 1.9 ( 20.7/23.3) (r =.991). Mean differences (serum - plasma) were 8 U/L and 4 U/L for lipase and alpha-amylase, respectively. Classification of results as normal or abnormal did not differ according to specimen type. In dogs, lipase and alpha-amylase activities can be determined with the same level of accuracy in serum and in heparinized plasma.