Granulocyte-function in pancreatitis. Nitroblue tetrazolium-test related to clinical signs of bacterial infection and to hypertriglyceridemia.
Out of 26 patients with acute pancreatitis, 8 had several signs of bacterial infection such as high nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction of granulocytes, fever, elevated ESR and leukocytosis with granulocytosis. 2 patients had a high NBT-value without all other clinical signs of infection and 6 had such signs without a high NBT-value. --An NBT-value lower than normal was found in 6 patients, 3 of whom also had other signs of infection. The level of serum lipids, determined in only 3 of the 6, demonstrated concomitant hypertriglyceridemia. Hyperlipidemia is known to decrease granulocyte activity and might have prevented a stimulation to increased NBT-reduction otherwise brought about by bacterial infection. Further, 3 of the 6 patients with low NBT-reductions suffered from a very severe type of pancreatitis and two of them developed pneumonia. --Bacterial infection may thus contribute to a severe clinical course of pancreatitis, especially in patients with hypertriglyceridemia in whom the granulocyte function is depressed.
D000208:Acute Disease; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D014280:Triglycerides; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium