title: Clinical usefulness of polymorphonuclear elastase in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis: results of a multicentre study.
abstract: The usefulness and clinical applicability of quantitative plasma polymorphonuclear elastase determinations in the diagnosis of the severity of acute pancreatitis was analysed in a multicentre study and was compared with the usual prognostic systems of Ranson and Osborne et al. The study comprised 182 patients, 154 with a mild episode of acute pancreatitis and 28 with a severe episode, defined by the development of major complications or a fatal outcome. In the severe cases neutrophilic elastase reached significantly higher values than in mild cases (P less than 0.001) by the time the patient was admitted (2-12 h after the onset of the disease), reflecting considerable leucocyte activation. The sensitivity and specificity of this test are therefore greater than 90 per cent, with a positive severity predictive value of almost 80 per cent at the time of admission and 97 per cent after 24 h, and a negative predictive value of approximately 98 per cent. In addition to requiring 48 h for evaluation, the usual prognostic systems show a sensitivity of 77-85 per cent, a specificity of 70-77 per cent, a positive predictive value of 40-48 per cent, and a negative predictive value of 92-95 per cent, clearly lower than those obtained with leucocyte elastase. Polymorphonuclear elastase is therefore a very early and reliable marker in the diagnosis of the severity of acute pancreatitis, in addition to being easily adaptable to the routine of any hospital laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Guadalajara, Spain.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Muñoz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carballo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Diego
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rábago
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Simón
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Morena
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000097:blood*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase