Test Code LASE LIPASE
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Plasma
Preferred Specimen: Li-Heparin Mint Green Top
Other Acceptable specimens: Serum/Gold Top, Serum/Red Top
Volume
Preferred Volume: 0.5 mL
Minimum Volume: 0.2 mL
Specimen Stability
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
Room temperature |
7 days |
Refrigerated |
7 days |
Frozen |
2 months |
Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions
UCMC Onsite Instructions:
Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions:
- Samples should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.
- Centrifuge specimens at >2500 x g for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Aliquot sample into plastic transport tube containing a minimum of 0.2 mL of specimen.
- Samples must be sent room temperature at 15-25oC.
Rejection Criteria
- Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits.
- Specimens that are clotted or grossly hemolyzed.
- Specimens that were transported unspun/whole blood and draw time is greater than 6 hours.
Reference Values
Test |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
LASE |
All |
All |
11-65 u/L |
Note: Reference range based on in-house studies, recommendations from Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry, and Roche product literature.
Clinical Indications
Lipases are enzymes that hydrolyze glycerol esters of long-chain fatty acids and produce fatty acids and 2-acylglycerol. Bile salts and a cofactor, colipase, are required for full catalytic activity and greatest specificity. The pancreas is the primary source of serum lipase. Both lipase and colipase are synthesized in the pancreatic acinar cells and secreted by the pancreas in roughly equimolar amounts. Lipase is filtered and reabsorbed by the kidneys. Pancreatic injury results in increased serum lipase levels.
Test Components
LIPASE
Methodology
Enzymatic Colorimetric Assay
CPT Codes
83690
Additional Information
-
In pancreatitis, lipase becomes elevated at about the same time as amylase (4-8 hours). But lipase may rise to a greater extent and remain elevated much longer (7-10 days) than amylase.
Elevations 2 to 50 times the upper reference have been reported. The increase in serum lipase is not necessarily proportional to the severity of the attack. Normalization is not necessarily a sign of resolution.
In acute pancreatitis, normoamylasemia may occur in up to 20% of such patients. Likewise, the existence of hyperlipemia may cause a spurious normoamylasemia. For these reasons, it is suggested that the 2 assays complement and not exclude each other, and that both enzymes should be assayed.
Last Review Date
6/4/25
Critical Values
Analyte |
Unit |
Low |
High |
Age |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
LOINC Codes
3040-3 |
Collection Instructions
Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures.
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time: 1 hour
Routine Turnaround Time: 4 hours
Testing Schedule: 24/7
Synonyms/Keyword Search
Lipase