Plasma Calprotectin Levels in Patients Suffering from Acute Pancreatitis

Abstract

Calprotectin (Cal) concentration is elevated in acute inflammatory reactions and its increase in the plasma suggests a diagnostic potential for Cal assay. This study aimed (a) to evaluate the Cal plasma levels in patients suffering from acute pancreatitis (AP) and (b) to assess whether early assay of Cal plasma levels can be helpful in assessment of the severity of AP. Forty-six consecutive patients, median age 45 years, suffering from a first attack of AP were recruited at two medical centers. Data collected on admission included age, sex, delay between pain onset and admission, and Glasgow score. A severe outcome was defined according to the Atlanta criteria. AP was defined as edematous or necrotic according to the CT findings. Plasma Cal and serum C reactive protein (CRP) were assayed in all patients within the first 24 hr after hospitalization. Sixty subjects suffering from blood hypertension were recruited as controls. Plasma Cal was measured by a commercial ELISA system. In all AP patients and in none of the controls, plasma Cal concentration was higher than the normal limit. Cal values in AP pa- tients were significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.0001). There was not a statistically significant difference in Cal values between patients with severe and patients with mild AP. Plasma Cal values did not differ in necrotizing and edematous AP. During the follow-up plasma Cal was reassayed in six of the patients with abdominal fluid collection and the values were higher in the two patients with infected necrosis. We conclude that plasma Cal is elevated in patients with AP but it is not a useful marker for early prediction of pancreatitis severity. Further studies could evaluate its usefulness in pancreatic infected necrosis.

Gastric Fluid Calprotectin Levels

“…Plasma levels in calprotectin have been shown to increase in acute inflammation in previous studies (24,25). Calprotectin, as a promising new marker for diagnoses of inflammatory pathologies, having been detected in various body fluids, and was found to be present in gastric fluid in the present study.…”

The Elevated Serum S100A8/A9 During Acute Myocardial Infarction Is Not of Cardiac Myocyte Origin

“…Subsequently, it has been recognized as a promising marker of various inflammatory disorders. High levels of S100A8 and S100A9 can be found in synovial fluid, sputum, stool, and blood plasma/serum during inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis [40], pancreatitis [41], or hepatitis [42]. These investigations indicated that other organ insult might be also associated with elevated levels of S100A8 and S100A9, which suggested that the serum level of calprotectin might be a very sensitive nonspecific inflammatory marker in various clinical settings.…”

Fecal calprotectin and elastase 1 determinations in patients with pancreatic diseases: a possible link between pancreatic insufficiency and intestinal inflammation

“…12 However, data available for patients with pancreatic diseases have been reported only for serum calprotectin as a marker of infl ammation in patients with acute pancreatitis. 13 Thus, this prospective study was designed to assess fecal calprotectin in order to evaluate the presence of intestinal infl ammation in patients with pancreatic disease.…”