title: Prognostic value of increased B type natriuretic peptide in cases with acute pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a systemic disease with a rising incidence. Cardiac dysfunction may occur as an early complication of AP. B type natriuretic factor (BNP) is a diagnostic and prognostic indicator of cardiac disorders. Therefore, in this study we aimed to assess the relationship between serum BNP concentrations and severity of AP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with AP who were admitted to gastroenterology clinic of our center, were included in this study. BNP measurements were performed twice, once on admission to the hospital and another after clinical and laboratory remission of the disease. All patients underwent echocardiography, abdominal ultrasonography and/or computed tomography chest X-ray and routine biochemical assays. Disease severity was determined by Ranson, Balthazar and Glasgow scoring systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 55 patients with AP (33 male, 60%) were enrolled in the study. Causes of AP were biliary in 32 patients (58%), alcoholic in 10 (18%), idiopathic in 8 (15%), hyperlipidemic in 4 (7%) and ERCP related in one patient (2%), respectively. Serum BNP levels in first 2 days of admission and after the clinical and laboratory remission of disease were 444 ± 295.9 and 124 ± 109.5 pg/ml, respectively (p<0.001). Increased serum BNP levels were positively correlated with severity of the disease (p<0.001). We could not find a difference between serum BNPe levels of edematous and necrotizing patients (P = 0.683).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased serum BNP levels might be a plausible indicator of severity of AP during the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Sisli Etfal Training and Research hospital, Gastroenterohepatology clinic, Istanbul, Turkey. msbugdaci@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mehmet Sait
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bugdaci
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oztekin
authors.forename: Ekrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koker
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tufan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain