Determination of human serum phospholipase A2. Comparison of two methods.

A photometric assay for serum phospholipase A is compared with a radiometric assay specific for phospholipase A2. The methods show a high correlation. The increased phospholipase A activity in sera of patients with inflammatory and non-pancreatic necrotizing diseases is attributable to a neutral-active, calcium-sensitive phospholipase A2 but not to pancreatic phospholipase A2. Phospholipase A1 did not seem to contribute significantly to the overall activity of phospholipase A.