title: Is procalcitonin a reliable marker for the diagnosis of infected pancreatic necrosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infected necrosis in acute pancreatitis is the main factor in determining the prognosis of the disease. Early and accurate diagnosis of infected pancreatic necrosis might decrease mortality. The aim of the present study is to identify a reliable marker for the onset infection in three different experimentally induced pancreatitis models.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into nine groups. In three different experimental models, including cerulein induced acute oedematous pancreatitis (AEP), sterile pancreatic necrosis due to taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis (SPN) and infected pancreatic necrosis taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis (IPN). Serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor a (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8), amylase were measured. The degree of pancreatic damage also evaluated pathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Procalcitonin levels were increased significantly in AEP, SPN and IPN compared to control groups (P < 0.05). PCT and IL-6 level were the highest in the IPN group (P < 0.05). Serum amylase, CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-2, and IL-8 levels were similar between IPN and SPN groups (P > 0.05), but higher than in other groups. The results of histological evaluation also correlated with the advent of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Procalcitonin and IL-6 acts as reliable acute phase reactant in an experimental model of AEP, SPN and IPN in the rat. PCT and IL-6 combination might be surrogate marker of infected pancreatic necrosis and should be preferred to other markers assay especially in severe pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Pamukkale University School of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yonetci
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sungurtekin
authors.forename: Nevin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oruc
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Hulya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sungurtekin
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaleli
authors.forename: Bunyamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaptanoglu
authors.forename: Gul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yuce
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozutemiz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D009336:Necrosis; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606591:Calca protein, rat; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide