Clinical evaluation of serum interleukin 10 in patients with acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the behavior of serum interleukin 10 (IL-10) in patients with acute pancreatitis and to explore the relationship between this cytokine and the severity of the disease.


METHODS
In 45 patients with acute pancreatitis, the serum concentrations of IL-10 was determined on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 after admission. Twelve healthy subjects were also studied as controls. These subjects were tested using a commercial ELISA kit. The severity of pancreatitis was determined according to APACHE II score and Balthazar CT criteria.


RESULTS
Healthy subjects had no detectable serum levels of IL-10. In acute pancreatitis patients, the serum IL-10 levels were increased on the first day after the onset of the disease and then progressively decreased in the following days. On the first day after the onset of acute pancreatitis, the serum levels of IL-10 in patients with mild acute pancreatitis were significantly higher than in those with severe acute pancreatitis. In the following days, however, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IL-10 concentration reflects the severity of acute pancreatitis. IL-10 is a useful variable for early prediction of the prognosis of acute pancreatitis. The low values of serum IL-10 in patients with severe acute pancreatitis suggests that there may be altered down-regulation of immune system response. An enhanced release of IL-10 may be a method for early treatment of acute pancreatitis.
Han
Xi-Chun
XC
Department of Surgery, Second Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China. hanchun6001@sohu.com
Zhang
Ying-Chao
YC
Wang
Yu
Y
Jia
Ming-Ku
MK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D016753:Interleukin-10