title: Correlation of nitric oxide and other free radicals with the severity of acute pancreatitis and complicated systemic inflammatory response syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation of nitric oxide (NO) and other free radicals with the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) and complicated systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty AP patients (24 simple AP patients and 26 patients with AP complicated by SIRS) were involved in the study. Fifty healthy volunteers were included as controls. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores were evaluated, and plasma NO, plasma lipid peroxides, plasma vitamin E, plasma beta-carotene, whole-blood glutathione (GSH), and the activity of plasma GSH peroxidase were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, the APACHE II scores heightened in the AP group, and the SIRS group had the highest APACHE II scores (P < 0.005, P < 0.001, respectively). Plasma NO and plasma lipid peroxides increased with the heightening APACHE II scores, demonstrating a significant linear positive correlation (r = 0.618, r = 0.577, respectively; P < 0.001). Plasma vitamin E, plasma beta-carotene, whole-blood GSH, and the activity of plasma GSH peroxidase decreased with the heightening APACHE II scores, demonstrating a significant linear negative correlation (r = -0.600, r = -0.609, r = -0.559, r = -0.592, respectively; P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nitric oxide and other free radicals take part in the aggravation of oxidative stress and oxidative injury and may play important roles in the pathogenesis of AP and SIRS. It may be valuable to measure free radicals to predict the severity of AP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. querisheng@163.com
authors.forename: Ri-sheng
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Que
authors.forename: Li-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Guo-ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Jun-an
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ke-jie
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Gui-feng
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000097:blood*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D008055:Lipids; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase