title: Usefulness of assessing circulating levels of resistin, ghrelin, and IL-18 in alcoholic acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a severe inflammatory disease with high mortality and morbidity rates. We have previously demonstrated that resistin may represent an early marker of inflammation in AP. It was also revealed that ghrelin may have anti-inflammatory potential. However, the role of adipohormones in AP-resistin and ghrelin as well as the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-18-has not yet been fully elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 32 patients with alcoholic AP and 30 controls matched for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). In all cases AP was classified as grade C according to Balthazar's computed tomography (CT) score and as severe (3 points) according to Ranson's criteria. Serum levels of resistin, ghrelin, and IL-18 were measured on first, third, and fifth day of hospitalization by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  On first day of hospitalization the mean serum resistin concentration in AP patients was significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.05) and further increased on third and fifth day of hospitalization (17.4 ± 4.23 ng/ml and 25.8 ± 8.14 ng/ml, respectively). On first day of hospitalization the mean serum IL-18 concentration in AP patients was significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.05), on third day its level further increased, and on fifth day it decreased to a level similar to that observed on admission. The serum ghrelin concentrations on first, third, and fifth day of hospitalization were comparable, and significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.01). Significant correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) and resistin levels (r = 0.43; P < 0.05) and between CRP and IL-18 (r = 0.58; P <0.05) on day of admission was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum concentration of IL-18 and resistin may contribute to inflammatory response and may be useful as an early marker of inflammation in AP. We also suspect that ghrelin affects the course of AP and plays an important role in inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Tract Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. piotr.daniel@umed.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leśniowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jasińska
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietruczuk
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Małecka-Panas
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D054439:Ghrelin; D020382:Interleukin-18; C499624:RETN protein, human; D052243:Resistin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein