Serum lipids and gamma-glutamyltransferase in acute pancreatitis

Serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels as well as gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities were investigated in 40 patients with acute pancreatitis (AcP) and in 46 selected normolipidemic control subjects. Obvious hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) (serum triacylglycerol greater than 3.5 mmol/L) was noted in 11 patients. Preexistent type IV/V hyperlipoproteinemia had been documented in three of these patients years before the attack of acute pancreatitis. A wide individual variation in the decrease rate of the excessively raised triacylglycerol levels as well as the occurrence of intermediate lipoprotein patterns were noted in the days following the acute event in 7 patients who could be serially investigated. Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity was increased mainly in patients with associated biliary disease and in patients who admitted being chronic consumers of alcohol. Release of this enzyme from injured pancreatic tissue cannot however be excluded in cases with severe autolytic and necrotic phenomena.