title: Pancreatic involvement in chronic viral hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the frequency and characteristics of pancreatic disorders in the course of chronic viral hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively assessed the serum pancreatic enzyme levels and imaging findings in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum amylase (t-Amy), salivary amylase (s-Amy), pancreatic amylase (p-Amy) and serum lipase levels were higher in hepatitis patients in comparison to control subjects. However, in asymptomatic viral carriers, only the serum t-Amy levels were higher than those of the controls. The levels of each enzyme rose with the progression of liver disease in patients with hepatitis B or C; whereas the levels of each enzyme within the same clinical stage of the disease did not differ between patients diagnosed with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus. Imaging findings demonstrated chronic pancreatitis in only 1 out of 202 patients (0.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that serum levels of pancreatic enzymes increase with the progression of liver disease in patients diagnosed with viral hepatitis. Pancreatic disease, asymptomatic in most cases, may represent an extrahepatic manifestation of chronic viral hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1, Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katakura
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yotsuyanagi
authors.forename: Kiyoe
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashizume
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Okuse
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okuse
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iino
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases