Institution: | 1. Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India;2. Department of Anatomy, 1st Floor, Teaching Block, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India |
Abstract: | BackgroundPredicting severe acute pancreatitis (AP) is important for triage, prognosis, and designing therapeutic trials. Persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) predicts severe AP but its diagnostic accuracy is suboptimal. Our objective was to study if cytokine levels could improve the predictive value of clinical variables for the development of severe AP.MethodsConsecutive patients with AP were included in a prospective cohort study at a tertiary care center. Serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, MCP-1, GM-CSF and IL-1β were measured at day 3 of onset of AP. Variables such as age, co-morbidity, etiology, SIRS, and cytokines were modeled to predict severe AP by multivariable regression analysis. Genotyping was done to correlate IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 gene polymorphisms with cytokine levels.ResultsOf 236 patients with AP, 115 patients admitted within 7 days of onset formed the study group. 37 of the 115 (32%) patients developed organ failure. Independent predictors of organ failure were persistent SIRS (OR 34; 95% CI: 7.2–159) and day 3 serum IL-6 of >160?pg/ml (OR 16.1; 95% CI:1.8–142). IL-6 gene (?174?G/C) GG genotype was associated with significantly higher levels of IL-6 compared to CC/CG genotype. Serum IL-6 >160?pg/ml increased the positive predictive value of persistent SIRS from 56% to 85% and specificity from 64% to 95% for predicting OF without compromising its sensitivity and negative predictive value.ConclusionSerum IL-6 of >160?ng/ml added significantly to the predictive value of SIRS for severe AP. |