Serum amylase levels in homozygous sickle cell patients.

Serum amylase was evaluated in a group of 26 steady-state homozygous sickle cell (SS) patients and 11 age-matched HbAA controls. Half (50%) of the SS patients had values above normal while only two of the control group had slightly elevated values. The SS patients had a mean +/- SD value of 301.46 +/- 119.40 iu/L while the control group had 274.36 +/- 89.70 iu/L. The difference between these two values is statistically significant (P less than .05). Males in both groups had significantly higher mean serum amylase values. The values in the SS group did not show an association with age. Higher levels in SS patients suggest a predisposition to chronic pancreatitis.