Significance of the measurement of serum trypsin in patients surgically treated for gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The influence of standard lymphadenectomy on the occurrence of damage to the pancreas was evaluated in 107 patients with gastric cancer, by analyzing related serum trypsin and amylase levels, pre- and postoperatively.


METHODS
We divided the patients into two groups: Group A included 59 patients who underwent a standard D1 gastrectomy, according to the classification outlined by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer. Group B included 48 patients who underwent a D2 gastrectomy.


RESULTS
Group B patients had significantly elevated serum trypsin levels on the 7th and 14th postoperative days (P < 0.01). The percent increase in serum trypsin in Group B patients was also significantly elevated on the 7th and 14th postoperative days (P < 0.01). However, there were no significant difference between the two groups in the percent increase or level of serum amylase.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that the measurement of serum trypsin may useful to predict the degree of pancreatic micro-damage caused by lymphadenectomy.
Ojima
H
H
First Department of Surgery, Gunma University School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371, Japan.
Fukuda
T
T
Mochiki
E
E
Asao
T
T
Kuwano
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D000681:Amylases; D014357:Trypsin