Clinical usefulness of the serum carboxypeptidase B activation peptide in acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the serum carboxypeptidase B activation peptide in diagnosing and determining the severity of acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
Twenty consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis were studied on admission to the Emergency Room: 11 patients had mild pancreatitis, and 9 patients, severe pancreatitis. Twenty consecutive patients with non-pancreatic acute abdomen and 20 healthy subjects were also studied.


METHODS
Serum carboxypeptidase B activation peptide was determined using radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
Nineteen of the 20 patients with acute pancreatitis (95.0%) had serum carboxypeptidase B activation peptide concentrations above the upper reference limit, whereas 1 of the 20 patients with non-pancreatic acute abdomen (5.0%) and none of the healthy subjects had serum levels of this protein above the upper reference limit. The serum carboxypeptidase B activation peptide concentrations of patients with severe acute pancreatitis were significantly higher than those of patients with mild acute pancreatitis on the 2(nd) (P=0.044) and 3(rd) days (P=0.028) of the study. The overall sensitivity and specificity of carboxypeptidase B activation peptide in assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis were 84.6% and 59.4%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum carboxypeptidase B activation peptide may be used simultaneously both to diagnosis and assess the severity of acute pancreatitis on admission to the Emergency Room.
Pezzilli
R
R
Emergency Department, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Central Laboratory, Sant'Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna. Bologna, Italy. pezzilli@orsola-malpighi.med.unibo.it
Morselli-Labate
A M
AM
Barbieri
A R
AR
Platè
L
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D010455:Peptides; C110925:carboxypeptidase B activation peptide; D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases