title: Serum lipid and fatty acid profiles are highly changed in patients with alcohol induced acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hyperlipidemia is one known etiology of acute pancreatitis. Alcohol use is known to induce changes in lipid metabolism and might alter the serum lipid and fatty acid profile. We hypothesized that these changes may explain individual susceptibility of developing acute pancreatitis. We compared lipid and fatty acid profiles of patients with acute alcoholic pancreatitis and alcoholic controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  19 patients with their first alcoholic pancreatitis and 20 controls were included. Late follow-up samples were obtained from 16 patients. Serum lipids were analyzed enzymatically and the fatty acid profile using gas chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentrations of serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were markedly lower in patients than in controls during the acute disease but normalized after follow-up. Patients had statistically significantly lower fatty acid proportions of saturated C14:0, polyunsaturated C18:2, C18:3 and C20:3 of the n-6-series and C18:3 of the n-3-series than controls. In contrast, patients had higher percentages of saturated C16:0 and monounsaturated C18:1n9 fatty acids than controls. Mead acid, C20:3n9, marker of essential fatty acid deficiency, was lower in patients than in controls. C14:0, C20:3n6, C18:3n3 and C20:3n9 remained altered after follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum lipid and fatty acid levels were significantly altered during the acute disease and returned toward normal after 18-24 months, suggesting that the changes are secondary to acute pancreatitis. They are unlikely to be the much sought 'trigger factor' of pancreatic necro-inflammation. However, further studies are warranted to fully establish this point.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Jahangir
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Solakivi
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seppänen
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lappalainen-Lehto
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Järvinen
authors.forename: Jani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ronkainen
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sand
authors.forename: Isto
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nordback
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D002784:Cholesterol