Is Abdominal Fat Distribution Measured by Axial CT Imaging an Indicator of Complications and Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis?

Beyond body mass index: exploring the role of visceral adipose tissue in intensive care unit outcomes

Obesity is a worldwide health crisis and poses significant challenges in critical care. Many studies suggest an 'obesity paradox', in which obesity, defined by body mass index (BMI), is associated with better outcomes. However, the inability of BMI to discriminate between fat and muscle or between visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue, limits its prediction of metabolic ill health. We suggest that the 'obesity paradox' may be more reflective of the limitations of BMI than the protective effect of obesity. We explore the biological processes leading to visceral fat accumulation, and the evidence linking it to outcomes in critical illness. In the 'spillover' hypothesis of adipose tissue expansion, caloric excess and impaired expansion of storage capacity in the subcutaneous adipose tissue lead to accumulation of visceral adipose tissue. This is associated with a chronic inflammatory state, which is integral to the link between visceral adiposity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and ischaemic heart disease. We review the current evidence on visceral adiposity and critical illness outcomes. In COVID-19, increased visceral adipose tissue, irrespective of BMI, is associated with more severe disease. This is mirrored in acute pancreatitis, suggesting visceral adiposity is linked to poorer outcomes in some hyperinflammatory conditions. We suggest that visceral adiposity's chronic inflammatory state may potentiate acute inflammation in conditions such as COVID-19 and acute pancreatitis. Further work is required to investigate other critical illnesses, especially sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, in which current evidence is scarce. This may give further insights into pathophysiology and inform tailored treatment and nutrition strategies based on body fat distribution.

Visceral adipose tissue predicts severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis in obese patients

Acute pancreatitis is a common systemic inflammatory disease, manifested by a spectrum of severity, ranging from mild in the majority of patients to severe acute pancreatitis. Patients with severe acute pancreatitis suffer from severe local and systemic complications and organ failure, leading to a poor prognosis. The early recognition of the severe condition is important to improve prognosis. Obesity has risen in tandem with an increase in the severity of acute pancreatitis in recent years. Studies have revealed that adipose tissue, particularly visceral adipose tissue is associated with the prognosis of acute pancreatitis. This review discussed the role of visceral adipose tissue in obese patients with acute pancreatitis and explored the possible mechanism involved.

Relationship of computed tomography quantified visceral adiposity with the severity and complications of acute pancreatitis: a systematic review

Whilst obesity and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) have been reported to be associated with an increased risk of severe AP, the established predictive scoring systems have not yet encompassed the impact of obesity or visceral adiposity. In the acute setting, computed tomography (CT) is often performed to assess AP severity and associated complications. With the added benefit of quantifying body fat distribution, it can be opportunistically used to quantify visceral adiposity and assess its relationship with the course of AP. This systematic review identified fifteen studies evaluating the relationship between visceral adiposity measured on CT and the severity of presentations of acute pancreatitis from January 2000 to November 2022. The primary outcome was to assess the relationship between CT quantified VAT and AP severity. The secondary outcomes were to assess the impact of VAT on patients developing local and systemic complications associated with AP. Whilst ten studies showed there was a significant correlation between an increased VAT and AP severity, five studies found otherwise. The majority of current literature demonstrate a positive correlation between increased VAT and AP severity. CT quantification VAT is a promising prognostic indicator with the potential to guide initial management, prompt more aggressive treatment measures or earlier re-evaluation and to aid disease prognostication in patients with acute pancreatitis.

The Effects of the Fat Distribution of Body, Skeletal Muscle Mass and Muscle Quality on Acute Pancreatitis Severity: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

We aim to investigate a possible relationship between acute pancreatitis (AP) and body fat and muscle parameters in computed tomography (CT).

METHODS

Computed tomography images of 107 patients with AP were scored in terms of AP severity using the modified CT severity index. Muscle mass, muscle mass index, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue area, multifidus muscle/fat attenuation ratio, total psoas index (TPI) and Hounsfield units average calculation (HUAC) values were performed.

RESULTS

Total psoas index and HUAC of mild AP cases were significantly higher than those with moderate and severe AP. The TPI of patients with severe pancreatic necrosis were found to be significantly lower than those without necrosis. Hounsfield units average calculation of cases without necrosis were significantly higher than those with severe necrosis in the pancreas.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicated that lower volume and density of psoas muscle associated with worse CT severity score and larger pancreatic necrosis in patients with AP.

Assessment of Computed Tomography-Defined Muscle and Adipose Tissue Features in Relation to Length of Hospital Stay and Recurrence of Hypertriglyceridemic Pancreatitis

Background

Analytic morphometric assessment has recently been proposed to be applied to the study of acute pancreatitis (AP). However, the relationship between body composition and the outcomes of hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (HTGP) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate body composition in relation to the length of hospital stay (LOS) and recurrence of HTGP.

Methods

Patient characteristics, admission examination data, body composition parameters, LOS, and recurrence within 1 year were collected from the institutional pancreatitis database and follow-up records. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for LOS and recurrence of HTGP.

Results

Of the 196 included patients, 158 (80.6%) were men and 53 (27.0%) were sarcopenic. The average LOS was 15.83±10.02 days. The recurrence rate of HTGP was 36.7%. Multivariate analysis with multiple linear regression suggested that subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) area (p=0.019) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (p=0.001) were independently associated with the LOS for HTGP after adjusting for age and sex. The multivariate adjusted hazard ratios for SAT area and HDL-C, with respect to the relationship between body parameters and LOS, were 1.008 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001–1.015) and 0.090 (95% CI, 0.022–0.361), respectively. No significant differences were observed between the AP and recurrent AP (RAP) groups in terms of characteristics, admission examination data, and body composition parameters.

Conclusion

SAT area and HDL-C are associated with LOS in patients with HTGP. The body composition of patients at the first symptom onset of HTGP cannot predict recurrence.

Accuracy of conventional and novel scoring systems in predicting severity and outcomes of acute pancreatitis: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Recently, several novel scoring systems have been developed to evaluate the severity and outcomes of acute pancreatitis. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of novel and conventional scoring systems in predicting the severity and outcomes of acute pancreatitis.

METHODS

Patients treated between January 2003 and August 2020 were reviewed. The Ranson score (RS), Glasgow score (GS), bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), pancreatic activity scoring system (PASS), and Chinese simple scoring system (CSSS) were determined within 48 h after admission. Multivariate logistic regression was used for severity, mortality, and organ failure prediction. Optimum cutoffs were identified using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1848 patients were included. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of RS, GS, BISAP, PASS, and CSSS for severity prediction were 0.861, 0.865, 0.829, 0.778, and 0.816, respectively. The corresponding AUCs for mortality prediction were 0.693, 0.736, 0.789, 0.858, and 0.759. The corresponding AUCs for acute respiratory distress syndrome prediction were 0.745, 0.784, 0.834, 0.936, and 0.820. Finally, the corresponding AUCs for acute renal failure prediction were 0.707, 0.734, 0.781, 0.868, and 0.816.

CONCLUSIONS

RS and GS predicted severity better than they predicted mortality and organ failure, while PASS predicted mortality and organ failure better. BISAP and CSSS performed equally well in severity and outcome predictions.

Increase in visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness in children with acute pancreatitis. A case-control study

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the development of acute pancreatitis in children and their body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) thickness.

METHOD

This was a case-control study carried out in a tertiary hospital between October and November 2019. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was based on the presence of at least two of three criteria of the International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis (INSPPIRE) guidelines. AC, VAT, and SAT measurements of patients and controls were performed by using a three-dimensional workstation (Aquarius 3D Workstation, TeraRecon Inc., San Mateo, Calif., USA) through cross sections of the L2 vertebra level after examining previous abdominal computerized tomography (CT) records.

RESULTS

A total of 25 patients diagnosed with acute and acute recurrent pancreatitis who underwent abdominal CT were included in the study and 38 healthy, sex- and age-matched children formed the control group. There were no differences between the patients and healthy children in terms of age, sex and BMI-for-age z-scores. Besides, measurements of WC, SAT, and VAT thickness were found to be higher in the patient group (P=0.007, P=0.021, P=0.016, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In this study, WC, VAT, and SAT were found to be thicker in children with acute pancreatitis compared with healthy children without any difference in BMI. Further studies are needed to clarify whether adipose tissue thickness is an etiological cause or a secondary finding in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Associations between body composition and prognosis of patients admitted because of acute pancreatitis: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the possible associations of muscle and visceral fat mass with the prognosis of patients hospitalized with acute pancreatitis.

METHODS

Body composition analysis (Sliceomatic, TomoVision, Montreal, Canada) was performed on CT images at the L3 level in patients admitted with acute pancreatitis during 2008-2014. Regression analysis was used to examine associations of body composition with 1-year mortality and 1-year readmission rates.

RESULTS

A total of 158 patients were included (mean age 63.7 ± 17.4 years, 91 (57.6%) were male). Fat was the most abundant tissue (408 ± 180 cm² surface area). None of the prognostic factors examined were associated with 1-year mortality. Values below compared to above the medians for muscle mass and visceral fat were associated with higher mean 1-year readmissions: 1.7 versus 1.0, p = 0.02 and 1.6 versus 1.1, p = 0.09, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed an association of high visceral fat with reduced 1-year readmission (OR 0.995, 95% CI 0.991-1.000, p = 0.03). Linear regression analysis showed an inverse correlation of visceral fat mass with the number of 1-year readmissions (HR -0.004, 95% CI -0.008-000, p = 0.070).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher amounts of visceral fat and muscle mass were positively associated with lower recurrent hospitalizations in patients admitted with acute pancreatitis. These results support the importance of nutritional rehabilitation in patients after admission due to acute pancreatitis.

Peritoneal cavity circumference on computed tomography predicts outcomes in acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the role of novel intra-abdominal parameters measured by computed tomography (CT) in the prediction of clinical outcomes in acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODS

Patients with AP underwent an abdominal CT scan on admission to define different intra-abdominal parameters (abdominal circumference, peritoneal cavity circumference, intraabdominal visceral fat area, and subcutaneous fat area) at the L2-L3 level using the open-source image analysis software Osirix Lite v.11.0.4 to predict clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Eighty patients with AP were analyzed. Peritoneal cavity circumference (PCC) was the only variable independently associated with outcomes. PCC showed an area under ROC for prediction of severity in AP of 0.830. A PCC ≥ 85 cm increased the risk of severity of AP (RR 15.7), persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome (RR 9.3), acute peripancreatic fluid collection (RR 6.4), necrotizing pancreatitis (RR 21.50), and mortality (RR 2.4). We found a 4.7-fold increase in the risk of developing severe AP for each 10 cm increase in PCC.

CONCLUSIONS

PCC measurement at the L2-L3 level using a non-enhanced abdominal CT scan on admission in patients with AP is useful in the early prediction of severity, persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome, local complications, and mortality.

Association of visceral adipose tissue on the incidence and severity of acute pancreatitis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

With the rising prevalence of obesity, there is a plethora of literature discussing the relationship between obesity and acute pancreatitis (AP). Evidence has shown a possible correlation between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and AP incidence and severity. This systematic review explores these associations.

METHODS

Eligible articles were searched and retrieved using Medline and Embase databases. Clinical studies evaluating the impact of VAT as a risk factor for AP and the association of the severity of AP and VAT were included.

RESULTS

Eleven studies, with a total of 2529 individuals were reviewed. Nine studies showed a statistically significant association between VAT and the severity of AP. Only four studies found VAT to be a risk factor for acute pancreatitis. Two studies showed VAT to be associated with an increased risk of local complications and two studies showed a correlation between VAT and mortality.

CONCLUSION

This is the first systematic review conducted to study the association between VAT and AP. The existing body of evidence demonstrates that VAT has a clinically relevant impact and is an important prognostic indicator of the severity of AP. However, it has not shown to be an independent risk factor to the risk of developing AP. The impact of VAT on the course and outcome of AP needs to be profoundly explored to confirm these findings which may fuel earlier management and better define the prognosis of patients with AP. VAT may need to be incorporated into prognostic scores of AP to improve accuracy.

Fat-modified computed tomography severity index (CTSI) is a better predictor of severity and outcome in patients with acute pancreatitis compared with modified CTSI

BACKGROUND

The amount of intra-abdominal fat on CT correlates positively with the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). The objective of the study was to evaluate a fat-modified CT severity index (FMCTSI) and compare its performance with MCTSI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For this retrospective study, 99 patients with AP who underwent contrast-enhanced CT between 3 and 7 days after pain onset were divided into a training cohort (n = 75) and a validation cohort (n = 24). MCTSI was calculated. The total adipose tissue (TAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and total to visceral fat ratio (TVFR) were computed using semi-automatic software. These parameters were given a score of 1-3. FMCTSI was calculated by adding the fat score to MCTSI. Concordance for diagnosing the severity of AP was assessed. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for predicting clinical outcomes were compared between FMCTSI and MCTSI. The diagnostic performance of the FMCTSI in the validation cohort was also evaluated.

RESULTS

In the training cohort, our proposed FMCTSI performed better than MCTSI for all the outcome parameters. The highest concordance for the severity of AP was achieved for VAT-MCTSI. For all outcome parameters, the highest AUC was seen for TVFR-MCTSI. In the validation cohort, the FMCTSI achieved diagnostic performance similar to the training cohort with the highest AUC for TVFR-MCTSI.

CONCLUSION

FMCTSI is a better CT index than MCTSI for predicting the severity and clinical outcomes of AP. Among the various FMCTSI parameters, TVFR-MCTSI is the best performer.

Mean muscle attenuation correlates with severe acute pancreatitis unlike visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue

Background

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a frequent disorder with considerable morbidity and mortality. Obesity has previously been reported to influence disease severity.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of adipose and muscle parameters with the severity grade of AP.

Methods

In total 454 patients were recruited. The first contrast-enhanced computed tomography of each patient was reviewed for adipose and muscle tissue parameters at L3 level. Associations with disease severity were analysed through logistic regression analysis. The predictive capacity of the parameters was investigated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

No distinct variation was found between the AP severity groups in either adipose tissue parameters (visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue) or visceral muscle ratio. However, muscle mass and mean muscle attenuation differed significantly with p-values of 0.037 and 0.003 respectively. In multivariate analysis, low muscle attenuation was associated with severe AP with an odds ratio of 4.09 (95% confidence intervals: 1.61-10.36, p-value 0.003). No body parameter presented sufficient predictive capability in ROC-curve analysis.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that a low muscle attenuation level is associated with an increased risk of severe AP. Future prospective studies will help identify the underlying mechanisms and characterise the influence of body composition parameters on AP.

Evaluation of the Severity of Hyperlipidemia Pancreatitis Using CT-measured Visceral Adipose Tissue

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography-measured visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and the distribution of VAT are highly correlated with the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). To date, all available data are from the overall AP patient population; no subgroup analysis has been conducted to evaluate patients with moderately severe AP or patients with hyperlipidemia acute pancreatitis (HLAP) as independent populations. Currently, studies on the relationship between VAT and HLAP are lacking.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 235 patients with moderately severe AP or severe acute pancreatitis were divided into 2 groups according to whether hyperlipidemia was present: the HLAP group and the non-HLAP group. The general inpatient information was collected, and computed tomography was used to measure VAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), total adipose tissue, and VAT/SAT (V/S). The data were subjected to t test, χ test, matrix scatter plot, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic analyses to evaluate the relationship between VAT and HLAP severity.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed in VAT, SAT, total adipose tissue, and triglycerides (TGs) between the HLAP group and the non-HLAP group (P<0.001). Significant correlations were observed between VAT and body mass index (r=0.425, P=0.017) and between VAT and TG (r=0.367, P=0.042). In the HLAP group, VAT, V/S, TG, and local complications may have significant effects on disease severity. The receiver operating characteristic curves showed that VAT and V/S were more reliable than TGs in evaluating disease severity [area under the curve (AUC) of VAT: 0.819, P<0.001; AUC of V/S: 0.855, P<0.001; AUC of TG: 0.671, P=0.04]. Disease severity was reliably evaluated at 139 cm, the cut-off value of VAT. The cut-off value of V/S was 1.145; high V/S was associated with extended intensive care unit stay. VAT and its distribution had no significant effects on mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with moderately severe to severe HLAP, VAT was correlated with body mass index and TG. VAT and V/S were valuable factors for evaluating disease severity and prognosis. However, VAT had no effect on mortality, and VAT could not be used to evaluate patients with moderately severe to severe non-HLAP.

Intra peritoneal abdominal fat area measured from computed tomography is an independent factor of severe acute pancreatitis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to search for a possible relationship between acute pancreatitis (AP) severity and visceral fat (VF) surface on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT).

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A total of 112 patients with AP who underwent CECT within 2 to 3 days after the beginning of AP were included. There were 68 mean and 44 women, with a mean age of 56.3±21.6 (SD) years (range: 19-98 years). AP was regarded as mild for patients with an hospital stay up to 5 days and severe for those with an hospital stay greater than 5 days. VF surface was measured on CECT at the level of L4-L5 and of the umbilicus. Association between AP severity and VF surface, computed tomography severity index (CTSI), modified CTSI (mCTSI) and other variables were searched for using uni- and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

At univariate analysis, the VF surface at the level of L4 was greater in patients with severe AP (129.3±68.6 [SD] cm2; range: 21.8-355.8 cm2) than in patients with mild AP (100.1±68.4 [SD] cm2; range:13.2-333 cm2) (P=0.006). Similarly, the VF surface at the umbilicus was greater in patients with severe AP (161.1±76.1 [SD] cm2; range: 31.3-376.7cm2) than in those with mild AP (128.4±74.3cm2; range: 12.8-323.1cm2) (P=0.024). CTSI and mCTSI were also associated to AP severity. At multivariate analysis, only VF surface either measured at the umbilical or at the L4-L5 level was associated with AP severity (P=0.017 and 0.006, respectively).

CONCLUSION

VF surface at the level of L4-L5 on CECT is an independent factor of AP severity. VF surface at the level of L4-L5 on CECT is an independent factor of AP severity. These results are in line with recent data on the role of abdominal fat in the genesis of inflammatory response, which is associated with severe forms of AP.

MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms act as biological indicators for ulinastatin efficacy in patients with severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a severe form of inflammatory disease with a high mortality rate. Ulinastatin, as a urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), is a glycoprotein playing a critical role in SAP. Consequently, we identified the hypothesis that both matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) gene polymorphisms might promote the efficacy of ulinastatin in SAP.

METHODS

A total of 235 patients with SAP were treated by intravenous drip of ulinastatin for the duration of 10 days. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was performed for testing the distribution of genotypes and alleles frequency of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms, and analyzing association of MMP-2 rs243865, MMP-2 rs2285053, MMP-9 rs3918242, or MMP-9 rs17576 with efficacy of ulinastatin in patients with SAP. Shesis software was adopted for analyzing single genotypes of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms site A Generalized Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (GMDR) model and a logistic regression analysis were used for analyzing effect of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms on the efficacy of ulinastatin in treating patients with SAP.

RESULTS

CC genotype of MMP-2 gene rs243865 C>T was observed to have a better positive effect in promoting the efficacy of ulinastatin in comparison with CT and TT genotypes. Haplotype CCTG, CCTA, CTTG, and CTTA were combined by MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms which have the ability to increase the efficacy of ulinastatin in treating patients with SAP. MMP-2 gene rs243865 C>T site polymorphism was served as a favorable factor while the MMP-9 gene rs3918242 C>T site polymorphism was noticed as an unfavorable factor for the efficacy of ulinastatin in treating patients with SAP.

CONCLUSION

The key findings clearly demonstrated that both the MMP-2 rs243865 and MMP-9 rs3918242 gene polymorphisms served as biological indicators for the efficacy of ulinastatin in treating patients with SAP.

Obesity Aggravates Acute Pancreatitis via Damaging Intestinal Mucosal Barrier and Changing Microbiota Composition in Rats

Obesity may aggravate acute pancreatitis (AP) through damaging the intestinal mucosal barrier (IMB). The underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study was aimed to provide further data to clarify the mechanism. 48 rats were divided into 4 groups: 1) normal control (NC), chow-fed rats with sham operation, 2) no-obese rats with AP (NAP), chow-fed rats with taurocholate infusion, 3) obese control (OC), high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats with sham operation, and 4) obese rats with AP (OAP), HFD-fed rats with taurocholate infusion. Pancreatic pathologic score (11.39 ± 1.76 vs. 14.11 ± 1.05, p = 0.005), intestinal permeability to FD4 (0.91 ± 0.25 μg/ml vs. 7.06 ± 3.67 μg/ml, p < 0.001), serum leptin (10.25 ± 5.59 ng/ml vs. 79.73 ± 38.44 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and ileal apoptosis (2.05 ± 0.73% vs. 4.53 ± 2.28%, p = 0.006) were significantly higher in OAP than in NAP group. The intestinal bacterial richness (Chao 1 and OTUs) was significantly lower in OAP than in NAP rats. The higher abundance of Proteobacteria and reduced proportions of intestinal Actinobacteria, Allobaculum and Barnesiella were detected in OAP group. Obesity may result in decreased intestinal leptin/ObR-b binding, distinct phylogenetic clusters of ileal bacterial communities, increased intestinal inflammatory injury and the insufficient intestinal epithelial cells proliferation during AP attack. Pancreatic injury was aggravated due to obesity associated dysfunction of IMB.

Leptin alleviates intestinal mucosal barrier injury and inflammation in obese mice with acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Obesity is an independent risk factor for severe acute pancreatitis (AP). Leptin plays an important role in energy homeostasis. It has been reported that leptin might also participate in the regulation of the intestinal mucosal barrier and inflammatory response. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of leptin on the intestinal mucosal barrier and inflammatory injury in obese mice with AP.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

AP was induced in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) or wild type (WT) mice by peritoneal injection of caerulein. The animals were divided into 4 groups: WT mice with or without exogenous leptin injection and ob/ob mice with or without leptin treatment. The inflammatory scoring of the pancreas and intestine were evaluated. Intestinal permeability, ileal interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, proliferation, apoptosis and intestinal expression levels of claudin-1 and occludin were measured.

RESULTS

Pancreatic pathologic scores (8.50 ± 0.96 vs. 3.78 ± 1.35, p < 0.001), pancreatic levels of IL-6 (8.34 ± 3.21 ng/mg vs. 4.99 ± 0.53 ng/mg, p = 0.022), intestinal oedema scores (2.25 ± 0.46 vs. 1.14 ± 0.69, p = 0.001) and intestinal permeability to FD4 (0.78 ± 0.06 μg/ml vs. 0.53 ± 0.11 μg/ml, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in ob/ob mice than those in WT mice. Leptin replacement in ob/ob mice greatly improved the intestinal permeability (FD4 0.66 ± 0.03 μg/ml, vs. 0.78 ± 0.06 μg/ml, p = 0.012), increased the ileal expression of claudin-1(1.07 ± 0.08 vs. 0.83 ± 0.07 relative densitometry, p = 0.001) and reduced intestinal IL-6 and IL-1β to levels comparable to those in WT mice. The pancreatic level of IL-6 in ob/ob mice treated with leptin was also significantly decreased relative to that of untreated ob/ob mice (4.45 ± 1.71 ng/mg vs. 8.34 ± 3.21 ng/mg, p = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity may aggravate intestinal inflammation and increase intestinal permeability under the condition of acute pancreatitis. Exogenous leptin supplementation was in favour of anti-inflammation and improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier.

High Visceral to Subcutaneous Fat Ratio Is Associated with Increased Postoperative Inflammatory Response after Colorectal Resection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

AIM

Excessive postoperative inflammatory response, which is characterized by overproduction of cytokines, often leads to complications after colorectal surgery. However, the impact of body composition on postoperative inflammatory response is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to elucidate whether body fat amount and its distribution affects postoperative inflammation after colorectal surgery in IBD patients.

METHODS

Eighty-six patients undergoing colorectal resection for IBD from June 2014 to Jan 2017 were enrolled. Abdominal CT images within one week prior to surgery were assessed for visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and muscle mass. Postoperative inflammatory response was evaluated using serum CRP, PCT, and IL-6 levels on postoperative days 1, 3, and 5. Univariate analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for infectious complications. The correlation between body composition and postoperative plasma concentration of inflammatory markers was analyzed using a linear regression model. ROC curve was applied to analyze the effect of different body composition parameters on postoperative infectious complications and to determine the relationship between inflammatory markers and infectious complications.

RESULTS

Neither volume of fat or muscle was related to postoperative plasma concentrations of CRP, IL-6, and PCT. However, visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio was associated with PCT levels on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, and 5, with the highest regression coefficient on POD1 (β = 0.360; 95% CI, 0.089-0.631; P = 0.010). Body composition did not predict postoperative infectious complications, while CRP on POD 3 was predictive of infectious complications.

CONCLUSION

Increased visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio was associated with postoperative inflammatory response in IBD patients undergoing colorectal resection. This may partly explain the increased incidence of postoperative complications in patients with visceral obesity.

The Association of Computed Tomography-Assessed Body Composition with Mortality in Patients with Necrotizing Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Identification of patients with necrotizing pancreatitis at high risk for a complicated course could facilitate clinical decision-making. In multiple diseases, several parameters of body composition are associated with impaired outcome, but studies in necrotizing pancreatitis are lacking.

METHODS

A post hoc analysis was performed in a national prospective cohort of 639 patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle density, and visceral adipose tissue were measured at the third lumbar vertebra level (L3) on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) within 10 days after initial admission and 1 month thereafter.

RESULTS

In total, 496 of 639 patients (78%) were included. Overall mortality rate was 14.5%. Skeletal muscle mass and density and visceral adipose tissue on first CT were not independently associated with in-hospital mortality. However, low skeletal muscle density was independently associated with increased mortality in patients ≥65 years (OR 2.54 (95%CI 1.12-5.84, P = 0.028). Skeletal muscle mass and density significantly decreased within 1 month, for both males and females, with a median relative loss of muscle mass of 12.9 and 10.2% (both P < 0.001), respectively. Skeletal muscle density decreased with 7.2 and 7.5% (both P < 0.001) for males and females, respectively. A skeletal muscle density decrease of ≥10% in 1 month was independently associated with in-hospital mortality: OR 5.87 (95%CI 2.09-16.50, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

First CT-assessed body composition parameters do not correlate with in-hospital mortality in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Loss of skeletal muscle density ≥10% within the first month after initial admission, however, is significantly associated with increased mortality in these patients.

Single-port endoscopic mesocolic and mesorectal excision using an extraperitoneal approach

BACKGROUND

The extraperitoneal rectal dissection via a transanal approach facilitates the mesorectal dissection. The retroperitoneal approach for mesocolic excision may also offer some similar advantages. To complete the lymphadenectomy of extraperitoneal mesorectal resection, we developed an innovative approach for upper rectal and mesocolic excision via an exclusive retroperitoneal dissection using a single-port access at the site of the future stomy.

METHODS

This study was a prospective pilot study and was conducted between 2013 and 2015 at two oncologic centers. Five consecutive patients, with ano-rectal cancer requiring permanent stoma, underwent this procedure.

RESULTS

The bowel was never touched or mobilized to perform the lymphadenectomy, and no Trendelenburg was required. The median operative duration was 300 min (range 205-310). The quality of the surgical plane was classified as good (mesorectal) in the five patients. The median circumferential and distal margins were, respectively, 5 mm (range 1-20) and 20 mm (range 5-25). The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 11 (range 5-18). No laparotomy or multiport laparoscopy was required. There was no death. Two patients had perineal wound dehiscence (one minor and one major).

CONCLUSIONS

The mesocolic excision via a retroperitoneal approach is feasible, completes naturally the transanal mesorectal excision and may confer several advantages including no morbidity of small bowel manipulation or Trendelenburg position. Further studies are required to analyze this approach.