The course of acute pancreatitis in patients with different BMI groups

Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis Hospitalizations with Obesity

OBJECTIVE

Assessing the relationship of body mass index (BMI) on acute pancreatitis (AP) hospitalization in the United States (US).

METHODS

The National Inpatient Sample utilized to capture normal weight, overweight, and obese AP hospitalization in the US during 2020 based on BMI. Patients, hospitalization characteristics, and outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

In 2020, there were 53,000 (20%) obese, 3980 (2.6%) overweight, and 210,000 (77.4%) normal weight AP hospitalizations. All-cause inpatient mortality was similar for obese, and overweight compared to normal weight AP hospitalizations, respectively (0.65% vs 0.63% vs 0.6%). Furthermore, obese AP hospitalization had a higher chance of developing systemic [odds ratio (OR): 1.7, confidence interval (CI) (1.35-2.12)], and needing intubation or vasopressor requirement OR: 1.75, CI (1.14-2.68), compared to normal AP patients. However, overweight AP hospitalizations had similar chance of developing systemic OR: 1.1, CI (0.83-1.38) and local complication OR: 1.14, CI (0.88-1.5), needing intubation or vasopressor requirements OR: 1.27, CI (0.73-2.23) except use of jejunostomy tube was higher OR: 1.74, CI (1.1-2.75) compared to normal weight AP hospitalizations. The mean length-of-stay and mean total healthcare costs were higher among obese by 2.14 days (CI 0.9-3.37), p = 0.001 and by US$ 21,626, CI (4379-38,872), p = 0.014 compared to normal weight AP hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Obese and overnight AP hospitalizations had similar inpatient mortality compared to normal weight hospitalizations. Obese AP hospitalizations have higher complications and healthcare utilization compared to normal weight hospitalizations.

Treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia through therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with acute pancreatitis or at risk of developing it

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

TPE drastically reduces serum triglyceride (sTG), but its role in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) or at risk of developing it, is not well established. The objectives were to assess the effectiveness and safety of TPE in the treatment of severe HTG (sHTG), as well as to evaluate the severity of HTG-AP treated with TPE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Observational-retrospective-single-center study, in which a descriptive analysis of sHTG treated with TPE was conducted, with the aim of treating HTG-AP or preventing its recurrence. TPE was performed if sTG≥ 1000 mg/dL after 24 hours of admission.

RESULTS

42 TPE were performed to treat 35 sHTG in 23 patients: 29 HTG-AP, and 6 sHTG with previous HTG-AP. Among the patients, 37% (13/55) were women, with 37 ± 14 years-old, 74.3% had normal BMI (25/35), 34% (12/35) were drinking > 40 g/alcohol/day and 54% (19/35) were diabetics. TPE significantly reduced the baseline sTG (4425 ± 2782 mg/dL vs. 709 ± 353 mg/dL, p < 0.001) in a single session, achieving a mean percentage reduction of 79 ± 13%; 20% (7/35) of sHTG cases required two TPE sessions to reduce sTG to < 1000 mg/dL. Adverse effects were reported in 4/42 TPE sessions (9,5%). sHTG-AP was observed in 3% of cases (1/29), and there were no deaths. sTG at 24 hours of admission showed no relation with the severity of APs.

CONCLUSION

The treatment of sHTG with TPE, with the aim of treating HTG-AP or preventing its recurrence, reduces sTG quickly and safety.

Pancreatic Iodine Density and Fat Fraction on Dual-Energy Computed Tomography in Acute Pancreatitis

The aim of our study was to investigate iodine density (ID) and fat fraction (FF) on dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). This retrospective study included 72 patients with clinically confirmed AP and 62 control subjects with DECT of the abdomen. Two radiologists assessed necrosis and measured attenuation values, ID, and FF in three pancreatic segments. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine the optimal threshold for ID for the differentiation between AP groups. The ID was significantly higher in interstitial edematous AP compared to necrotizing AP and the control group (both p < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis revealed the thresholds of ID for detecting pancreatic necrosis ≤ 2.2, ≤2.3, and ≤2.4 mg/mL (AUC between 0.880 and 0.893, p > 0.05) for the head, body, and tail, respectively. The FF was significantly higher for pancreatitis groups when compared with the control group in the head and body segments (both p < 0.001). In the tail, the difference was significant in necrotizing AP (p = 0.028). The ID values were independent of attenuation values correlated with the FF values in pancreatic tissue. Iodine density values allow for differentiation between morphologic types of AP.

Predictive value of adipokines for the severity of acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a dangerous condition with a high mortality rate. Many studies have found an association between adipokines and the development of SAP, but the results are controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of the association of inflammatory adipokines with SAP.

METHODS

We screened PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library for articles on adipokines and SAP published before July 20, 2023. The quality of the literature was assessed using QUADAS criteria. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the combined effect. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests were also performed on the information obtained.

RESULT

Fifteen eligible studies included 1332 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). Pooled analysis showed that patients with SAP had significantly higher serum levels of resistin (SMD = 0.78, 95% CI:0.37 to 1.19, z = 3.75, P = 0.000). The difference in leptin and adiponectin levels between SAP and mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) patients were not significant (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.68, z = 1.53, P = 0.127 and SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: -0.17 to 0.40, z = 0.80, P = 0.425, respectively). In patients with SAP, visfatin levels were not significantly different from that in patients with MAP (SMD = 1.20, 95% CI: -0.48 to 2.88, z = 1.40, P = 0.162).

CONCLUSION

Elevated levels of resistin are associated with the development of SAP. Resistin may serve as biomarker for SAP and has promise as therapeutic target.

Analysis of risk factors for acute pancreatitis complicated with pancreatic sinistral portal hypertension and construction of predictive model

Objective: Pancreatic sinistral portal hypertension (PSPH) is a common complication of acute pancreatitis (AP) and can cause massive gastrointestinal bleeding, which is one of the causes of AP-related mortality. However, there is currently no predictive model for AP concurrent with PSPH. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for AP concurrent with PSPH and use these factors to build a related predictive model. Materials and methods: We collected clinical data from 282 patients with AP. 192 patients were used as a training group and 90 patients as a validation group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for AP complicated with PSPH, and then a nomogram was established. The models are cross verification and Internal verification. The predictive ability and accuracy of the model were evaluated based on the working curve of the subjects and the calibration curve, respectively. The clinical value of the model was evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The univariate analysis revealed significant differences in the occurrence of PSPH with respect to sex, recurrent AP, history of hypertension, smoking history, patency of the splenic vein, pancreatic necrosis or pancreatic pseudocyst formation, the most significant site of pancreatic swelling, presence of a Dmure D polymer, MCTSI, and involvement of lipase and amylase. The logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that male sex, splenic-vein stenosis or occlusion and swelling were located in the body-tail, and MCTSI was an independent risk factor for PSPH. The nomogram and ROC curve were constructed. The area under the working curve of the subjects was 0.91, and the sensitivity and specificity were 82.5% and 89.1%, respectively. In the validation group, the C-index is 0.826. The nomogram was internally validated using 1,000 bootstrap samples, and the c-index was 0.898. The calibration curve demonstrated that the predicted probability was concordant with the observed probability, and the DCA confirmed that the model had robust clinical utility. Conclusion: Male sex, splenic-vein stenosis or occlusion, recurrent AP, and swelling are located in the body-tail, and MCTSI is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of PSPH. The predictive model developed for AP complicated with PSPH may serve toward developing preventive and therapeutic approaches for PSPH.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of organ failure and death in necrotizing pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Organ failure (OF) and death are considered the most significant adverse outcomes in necrotizing pancreatitis (NP). However, there are few NP-related studies describing the clinical traits of OF and aggravated outcomes.

PURPOSE

An improved insight into the details of OF and death will be helpful to the management of NP. Thus, in our research, we addressed the risk factors of OF and death in NP patients.

METHODS

We performed a study of 432 NP patients from May 2017 to December 2021. All patients with NP were followed up for 36 months. The primary end-points were risk factors of OF and death in NP patients. The risk factors were evaluated by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

NP patients with OF or death patients were generally older, had a higher APACHE II score, longer hospital stay, longer ICU stay, as well as a higher incidence of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), shock and pancreatic necrosis. Independent risk factors related to OF included BMI, APACHE II score and SAP (P < 0.05). Age, shock and APACHE II score (P < 0.05) were the most significant factors correlated with the risk of death in NP patients. Notably, increased mortality was linked to the number of failed organs.

CONCLUSIONS

NP is a potentially fatal disease with a long hospital or ICU stay. Our study indicated that the incidence of OF and death in NP patients was 69.9% and 10.2%, respectively. BMI, SAP, APACHE II score, age and shock are potential risk factors of OF and death in NP patients. Clinicians should focus on these factors for early diagnosis and appropriate therapy.

The clinical significance of body mass index in the early evaluation of acute biliary pancreatitis

Objective

Obesity has increased across the globe in recent years and is considered an established risk factor for many diseases. The main objective was to investigate the early assessment value of Body Mass Index (BMI) in the prediction of severity in acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) and by using BMI to evaluate the severity of ABP.

Methods

The retrospective analysis was designed to assess the relationship between Body Mass Index and the severity of acute pancreatitis in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. The SPSS 24.0 software was used for statistical analysis, Logistic Regression, and ROC curve for the factors affecting the severity of acute biliary pancreatitis.

Results

A total of 259 ABP patients were analyzed in our study. The BMI was significantly correlated with the Ranson scoring and MCTSI scoring (p = 0.000, 0.000). The difference in BMI in different severity of ABP patients was statistically significant (p = 0.000). The Logistic Regression analyses confirmed that BMI was an independent risk factor for the severity of ABP (p = 0.035). Combined detection of BMI, WBC, serum calcium, and SAMY in prognosis of the severity of acute pancreatitis positive rate is higher than single positive rate.

Conclusion

The BMI gradually increased with the severity of acute pancreatitis and was an independent risk factor for the condition. Combined detection of BMI and medical tests can effectively improve acute pancreatitis patients' clinical diagnostic accuracy and early treatment, and help to reduce complications.

Alteration of Peripheral Resistin and the Severity of Acute Pancreatitis: A Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Resistin is a small secretory adipokine which is implicated to obesity and associated diseases. Recently, plenty of research papers have been conducted to explore the association between peripheral resistin and the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). However, the results were controversial. In this study, we aimed to confirm the effect of peripheral resistin and the development of acute pancreatitis.

METHODS

A comprehensive online search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang databases up through January 20, 2022. The retrieved records and their references were screened to identify additional studies. Data were extracted to calculate the pooled Hedges' g and its 95% CI, which were selected to assess peripheral resistin levels and the severity of acute pancreatitis. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, meta-regression, and publication bias tests were also undertaken based on obtained information.

RESULTS

A total of eleven studies with 892 acute pancreatitis patients were enrolled in the study. Peripheral resistin levels were significantly increased in severe acute pancreatitis compared with mild acute pancreatitis (Hedges' g = 2.092, 95% CI: 0.994-3.190, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses based on sample types and ethnicity also showed similar results. A single study did not affect our results, which was verified by sensitivity analysis. Meta-regression analyses revealed that age, gender of the included subjects, sample size, and publication year did not moderate effects on the present results.

CONCLUSION

In our study, peripheral resistin levels were significantly elevated in patients with severe AP compared with patients with mild AP. Abnormal resistin levels may provide us some new insights in predicting the severity of AP.

The Value of RANSON Score Combined with BMI in Predicting the Mortality in Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Study

Objective

To explore the value of modified RANSON score in predicting mortality from severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods

In this retrospective study, 461 SAP patients hospitalized from January 2016 to January 2020 were enrolled. AP (acute pancreatitis) patients from our hospital were employed as the training set. In addition, AP patients from the affiliated hospital of Nantong University were set as the validation set. The clinical characteristics of patients were compared between the two sets. The independent risk factors for SAP were determined through logistic regression. Moreover, the risk factors were derived for various prediction models by logistic regression. Multiple methods were adopted to assess the predictive ability of various models.

Results

A total of 338 patients were assigned into the training set, while 123 patients were assigned into the validation set. The patients in the training and validation sets showed the consistent distribution trends (P>0.05). In the training set, significant differences between patients in the non-survival and survival groups were BMI, PCT, platelets (PLT), direct bilirubin (DBil) and RANSON scores (P<0.05). In further multivariate analysis, BMI, PCT and RANSON score were found as the independent risk factors for the mortality of SAP (OR=1.12, 1.25, 1.28, 95% CI:1.06–1.19, 1.08–1.44, 1.12–1.47, P<0.05). In the training set and validation set, ROC curve analysis showed that AUC of BMI+RANSON score was 0.778 and 0.789, respectively. In the calibration curve, the fitting degree of RANSON score+BMI and ideal assessment model was 0.975 and 0.854, respectively. The decision curve suggested that the net benefit per patient increased with the lengthening of the RANSON score+ BMI model curve. As revealed by the results of NRI and IDI indicators, RANSON score+BMI was optimized based on RANSON score (P<0.05).

Conclusion

BMI+RANSON was confirmed as a modified model effective in predicting the mortality from SAP.