Blood
Amylase (Pancreatic Isoenzyme)
Also known as: P-Amylase, Pancreatic Amylase
About Amylase (Pancreatic Isoenzyme)
An amylase test measures the amount of amylase in your blood or urine (pee). Amylase is an enzyme, a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in your body. Amylase helps you digest carbohydrates. Most of the amylase in your body is made by your pancreas and salivary (spit) glands.
It's normal to have a small amount of amylase in your blood and urine. But having too much amylase may be a sign of a disorder of the pancreas or salivary glands or another medical condition.
Because regular amylase tests pick up amylase from both the pancreas and the salivary glands, providers sometimes order a test that measures only the pancreatic form (pancreatic isoenzyme). This more focused measurement can be more sensitive for catching pancreas problems such as acute pancreatitis. In acute pancreatitis, amylase typically starts to rise within hours of symptoms beginning, stays elevated for a few days, and returns to normal within about a week.
Your health care provider may order an amylase blood and/or urine test if you have symptoms of a pancreatic disorder. Symptoms may begin suddenly or slowly.
Main source: MedlinePlus ↗
Useful for
Help diagnose problems with your pancreas, including pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
Pinpoint pancreas-related causes of high amylase by separating amylase made by the pancreas from amylase made by the salivary glands.
Monitor chronic (long-term) pancreatitis.
Help track changes in pancreas-related amylase over the course of an illness, since amylase typically rises within hours of an acute pancreatitis attack and falls back to normal within several days.
Main source: MedlinePlus ↗
Interpretation
High or low levels of amylase in blood or urine, or high levels in peritoneal fluid, may be a sign of a problem with your pancreas, salivary glands, or other organs.
Because the pancreatic isoenzyme test focuses on amylase from the pancreas, a high result is more specific for a pancreatic problem than a regular total amylase test.
To learn more about your results, talk with your provider.
For general wellness information only. Talk to a clinician about your specific results.
Main source: MedlinePlus ↗
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Sources
Last updated 2026-05-02
This page presents source-specific reference data and sourced explanations. For general wellness information only. This is not medical advice. For diagnosis or treatment of any condition, talk to a qualified clinician.