Robust Acute Pancreatitis Identification and Diagnosis: RAPIDx

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Proteomics
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Acute pancreatitis (AP) incidence is rising globally.
• Current AP diagnostics lack precise severity stratification and complication prediction.
• There is a need for improved diagnostic tools for AP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust method for AP identification and diagnosis (RAPIDx).
• To utilize proteomic fingerprinting of extracellular vesicles (EVs) for AP detection.
• To identify novel biomarkers for AP severity.

Main Methods:

• Employed bottom-up proteomics for analyzing circulating EVs.
• Used MALDI-TOF MS for quantitative analysis of EV protein fingerprints.
• Investigated serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins as potential AP biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Identified SAA proteins on EVs as differentially expressed in AP patients.
• Achieved high diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.92-0.97) for AP detection within 30 minutes.
• Developed a panel (SAA1-1, SAA2, and two protein peaks) for AP severity classification (AUC 0.83).

Conclusions:

• The RAPIDx platform enables rapid and accurate AP diagnosis.
• SAA proteins in EVs show promise as biomarkers for AP detection and severity.
• This method could facilitate timely intervention, prevent organ failure, and aid in early pancreatic cancer diagnosis.