Serum levels of extracellular matrix in acute pancreatitis

Elevated levels of serum markers of extracellular matrix, i.e., the amino-terminal procollagen-III-peptide, hyaluronic acid and laminin are found in various diseases. The study aims to examine a panel of these parameters in patients with acute pancreatitis and correlate them with the course and severity of the disease.

We prospectively examined the time-course of procollagen-III-peptide, hyaluronic acid and laminin in 24 consecutive patients with acute necrotizing (n = 13) or edematous (n = 11) pancreatitis. Patients with chronic pancreatitis with (n = 10) or without (n = 17) acute pain, and 6 patients in complete remission after an episode of acute pancreatitis as well as healthy individuals served as controls. In addition, serum levels of collagen VI and undulin were followed in 10 and 9 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis, respectively.

The serum concentrations of procollagen-III-peptide, hyaluronic acid and laminin were significantly higher at the onset of acute necrotizing pancreatitis compared to edematous pancreatitis and the controls. They returned to almost normal levels during the course of the disease when the patient recovered, but remained elevated in patients with a lethal course. Laminin allowed us to discriminate between patients with necrotizing pancreatitis from all other forms of pancreatitis on admission (specificity 82%, sensitivity 92%, PPV 86%, NPV 90%). Collagen type VI levels were 2-3-fold higher in sera of patients with acute pancreatitis than in healthy controls, whereas the results for undulin were inconclusive.

Since markers of matrix metabolism (especially laminin) are differently elevated in acute necrotizing versus edematous pancreatitis, we suggest that they might be used as parameters for the outcome.