Immunoglobulin E production in chronic pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) was investigated in patients with chronic pancreatitis in order to elucidate possible disease mechanisms linking pancreatitis, adverse reaction to foods and allergy.


METHODS
Serum IgE was analysed in 86 non-atopic patients with advanced chronic pancreatitis and 54 non-atopic controls. IgE detection was performed by enzyme-linked immunofluorescence.


RESULTS
Mean IgE levels (+/- standard error of mean) in chronic pancreatitis patients (286.1+/-49 kU/l) were found to be significantly elevated compared to controls (67.7+/-11 kU/l; P<0.0001). Normal IgE levels (<100 kU/l) were present in 40/54 control patients (74.1%), but only 39/86 pancreatitis patients (45.3%). Of the patients with chronic pancreatitis, 47/86 (54.6%) had clearly elevated IgE levels of >100 kU/l and their IgE values did not show a Gaussian distribution. However, nine-fold higher IgE levels were found in chronic pancreatitis patients with alcohol consumption of >25 g/day and exocrine insufficiency (915.5+/-240 kU/l) than in pancreatitis patients with normal exocrine function and no alcohol consumption (103.4+/-43 kU/l; P<0.001). Moreover, acute episodes of chronic pancreatitis were found to increase serum IgE levels.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with chronic pancreatitis, serum IgE production is markedly enhanced, especially during acute inflammatory episodes or when alcohol is consumed. Since abstinence from alcohol and pancreatic enzyme substitution are associated with clearly lower IgE levels, it may be concluded that pancreatic insufficiency with reduced nutrient digestion and alcohol consumption stimulate IgE production. This finding gives rise to the speculation that, apart from pancreatic inflammation, cross-linking of IgE with alimentary or other antigens might be involved in the pathophysiology of a sub-population of patients with chronic pancreatitis and manifest pancreatic insufficiency.
Raithel
Martin
M
Functional Tissue Diagnostics, Department of Medicine I, University Erlangen Nuremberg, Germany. Martin.Raithel@med1.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Dormann
Harald
H
Harsch
Igor A
IA
Winterkamp
Sandra
S
Weidenhiller
Michael
M
Fischer
Bernhard
B
Hahn
Eckhart Georg
EG
Schneider
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005243:Feces / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D010194:Pancreatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010194:Pancreatin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase