Pancreatic involvement in Salmonella infection.
BACKGROUND
Salmonella has been identified as a causative agent of acute pancreatitis.


OBJECTIVE
We prospectively evaluated the frequency of acute pancreatitis, pancreatic enzyme elevation and morphological pancreatic abnormalities in patients with Salmonella infection.


METHODS
Thirty consecutive patients with salmonellosis (Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis: n=25; Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium: n=5) and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects were studied.


METHODS
All subjects underwent serum amylase and lipase determination and ultrasonography.


RESULTS
None of the subjects developed acute pancreatitis. Two patients (6.7%) and two controls showed serum amylase activity above the upper reference limit whereas, in five patients (16.7%) and one control subject (3.3%), the serum lipase activity appeared above the upper reference limit. Salmonella infection significantly increased serum activity of lipase (P<0.001) while it did not significantly affect serum amylase levels (P=0.204). Serum lipase activity was significantly higher in patients infected by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium than in those infected by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (P=0.012). Ultrasonography did not show pancreatic abnormalities in any of the subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data demonstrated an elevation of serum lipase activity in gastroenteritis due to Salmonella infection, but this elevation does not seem to have clinical significance. The elevation of serum lipase seems to be particularly related to infection from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.
Pezzilli
Raffaele
R
Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. pezzilli@orsola-malpighi.med.unibo.it
Morselli-Labate
Antonio M
AM
Barakat
Bhajat
B
Romboli
Elisabetta
E
Ceciliato
Rosa
R
Piscitelli
Lidia
L
Corinaldesi
Roberto
R
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012703:Serotyping; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D012964:Sodium; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases; D011188:Potassium