Hexose and hexosamine concentrations in human pancreatic juice.

Hexose and hexosamine contents were measured in 117 samples of either duodenal or pancreatic juice from 49 subjects. The specimens were obtained by three methods: firstly, through a Dreiling's double lumen tube and with a pancreozymin secretin test performed simultaneously; secondly, by fiber duodenoscopy after an intravenous injection of secretin; thirdly, through a postoperative cannula without stimulation. The hexose content measured by phenol-sulfuric acid reaction correlated well with the hexosamine content measured by the Elson-Morgan method (r = 0.63, p less than 0.005). Since determination of hexose is not as complicated as that of hexosamine, the measurement of hexose content in the pancreatic juice seems to be more useful than measuring hexosamine for obtaining valuable information on pancreatic abnormalities.