A controlled study of the exocrine pancreatic function in Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

The exocrine pancreatic function has been estimated using the N-benzoyl-L-Tyrosyl para-amino-benzoic acid test (NBT PABA test) and by measuring the trypsinemia by radio-immunoassay (RIA trypsinemia) in nonselected cases of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in comparison with normal controls. The NBT PABA test was pathological in 37,5% of SS and 35% of RA patients but in none of the controls. The RIA trypsinemia was found to be high in 6,2% of SS and 45% of RA patients. These findings suggest that exocrine pancreatic function is impaired in some SS and RA cases. However, this exocrine pancreatic defect was clinically silent in all patients.