Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line
Published on: April 11, 2025
Alterations in plasma amino acid levels in chronic pancreatitis
Banavara Narasimhamurthy Girish1, Gopalakrishna Rajesh, Kannan Vaidyanathan
1Departments of Gastroenterology, Physiology and Biochemistry, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Cochin, Kerala, India.
Context:
Dietary proteins and amino acids can modulate pancreatic function.
Objective:
Our aim was to estimate the levels of plasma amino acids in chronic pancreatitis patients and study their relationship with disease characteristics as well as exocrine and endocrine insufficiency.
Patients:
One hundred and seventy-five consecutive adult patients with chronic pancreatitis: 84 patients with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and 91 patients with tropical chronic pancreatitis. One hundred and thirteen healthy controls were also studied.
Design:
Prospective study.
Main Outcome Measures:
Disease characteristics and imaging features were recorded. Plasma-free amino acid levels were estimated using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Polyclonal antibody ELISA was used to assess pancreatic fecal elastase-1.
Results:
The majority of the plasma free amino acid levels decreased in chronic pancreatitis patients whereas glutamate, glycine, proline and lysine were elevated as compared to the controls. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the decrease in branched chain amino acid concentration was significantly associated with the presence of diabetes and low fecal elastase-1. In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between branched chain amino acids and pancreatic elastase-1 (rs=0.724, P<0.001).
Conclusion:
Reductions of plasma amino acid levels are seen in chronic pancreatitis, particularly sulphur containing amino acids and branched chain amino acids. Selective amino acid deficiencies seem to correlate with exocrine and endocrine insufficiency.
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs when the immune system becomes active and causes swelling, pain, and disruptions in organ function. Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute or chronic condition.
Acute pancreatitis arises suddenly and lasts for a brief duration, while chronic pancreatitis is a long-term affliction...
Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Chronic Pancreatitis II: Pathophysiology
Acute Pancreatitis II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Pancreatitis II: Collaborative Care
Assessment:
Acute Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Acute pancreatitis is characterized by rapid inflammation of the pancreas, often caused by factors like gallstone blockage or excessive alcohol consumption. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is a slow, progressive inflammation that may result from long-term alcohol abuse, obstructions in the pancreatic duct, or genetic factors.
The causes of acute pancreatitis include:

