Molecular forms of serum pancreatic stone protein in acute pancreatitis.
CONCLUSIONS
Elevation of serum pancreatic stone protein-(PSP) S1 suggests activation of trypsinogen in the pancreas. This information would prompt the start of intensive treatment and may improve prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP).


BACKGROUND
PSP exists in two molecular forms, PSP-S2-5 and PSP-S1. PSP-S1 is produced by enzyme cleavage of PSP-S2-5 by trypsin. Total serum PSP rose in AP, but little is known about its molecular forms. In this study, we characterized the molecular forms of serum PSP in AP.


METHODS
Sera were taken from 8 patients with severe acute pancreatitis (sAP) and from 11 patients with mild acute pancreatitis (mAP). Serum PSP was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by the specific enzyme immunoassay (EIA).


RESULTS
The total serum PSP in sAP was higher than in mAP, but the difference was not significant. The PSP-S1 was detected in serum in all (7/7) patients in sAP and in 72% (8/11) of patients in mAP. Serum level of PSP-S1 was significantly higher in sAP than that in mAP (p < 0.05), and the cutoff value to distinguish the two groups was 30 ng/mL. Serum PSP-S1 did not show significant correlation with total PSP, immunoreactive trypsin, or C-reactive protein.
Nakae
Y
Y
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan. nakae@htc.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Naruse
S
S
Kitagawa
M
M
Ishiguro
H
H
Kato
M
M
Hayakawa
S
S
Kondo
T
T
Hayakawa
T
T
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051847:Lithostathine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood*
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D051847:Lithostathine; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C497617:REG1A protein, human