title: Role of interleukin-6 in acute pancreatitis. Comparison with C-reactive protein and phospholipase A.
abstract: Plasma values of immunoreactive interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and phospholipase A have been determined in serial samples from 24 patients with acute pancreatitis ('mild' pancreatitis nine, 'severe' pancreatitis 15). Median plasma concentrations of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and phospholipase A activity were significantly higher in patients with 'severe' illness (p < 0.001) than those with 'mild' illness. A particularly marked increase in interleukin-6 was found in two patients with necrotising pancreatitis and fatal outcome. Significant correlations between plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 and phospholipase A (p = 0.0218) and C-reactive protein and phospholipase A activity (p < 0.0001) were found in patients with 'severe' disease. These findings in a limited number of patients with acute pancreatitis are promising in that raised interleukin-6 correlated with clinical severity and with two other established markers, C-reactive protein, and phospholipase A activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Alicante, Elche General Hospital, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Viedma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Mateo
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carballo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood*; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D010741:Phospholipases A