Effect of pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy on chronic pancreatitis stones / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To analyze the therapeutic effect and safety of pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy(P-ESWL) for patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated by stones of the pancreatic duct and to investigate the influencing factors. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data from 81 patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated by pancreatic duct calculus treated with P-ESWL in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi 'an Jiaotong University from July 2019 to May 2022. There were 55 males(67.9%) and 26 females(32.1%). The age was (47±15)years (range: 17 to 77 years). The maximum diameter(M(IQR)) of the stone was 11.64(7.60) mm, and the CT value of the stone was 869 (571) HU. There were 32 patients (39.5%) with a single pancreatic duct stone and 49 patients(60.5%) with multiple pancreatic duct stones. The effectiveness, remission rate of abdominal pain, and complications of P-ESWL were evaluated. Student's t test, Mann Whitney U test, χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the characteristics between the effective and ineffective groups of lithotripsy. The factors influencing the effect of lithotripsy were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Eighty-one patients with chronic pancreatitis were treated with P-ESWL 144 times, with an average of 1.78 (95%CI:1.60 to 1.96) times per person. Among them, 38 patients(46.9%) were treated with endoscopy. There were 64 cases(79.0%) with effective removal of pancreatic duct calculi and 17 cases(21.0%) with ineffective removal. Of the 61 patients with chronic pancreatitis accompanied by abdominal pain, 52 cases(85.2%) had pain relief after lithotripsy. After lithotripsy treatment, 45 patients(55.6%) developed skin ecchymosis, 23 patients(28.4%) had sinus bradycardia, 3 patients(3.7%) had acute pancreatitis, 1 patient(1.2%) had a stone lesion, and 1 patient(1.2%) had a hepatic hematoma. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the factors affecting the efficacy of lithotripsy included the age of patient(OR=0.92, 95%CI: 0.86 to 0.97), the maximum diameter of the stone(OR=1.12,95%CI:1.02 to 1.24) and the CT value of the stone(OR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.17 to 1.86). Conclusions: P-ESWL is effective in the treatment of patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated by calculi of the main pancreatic duct.Factors affecting the efficacy of lithotripsy include patient's age, maximum stone diameter, and CT value of calculi.

Primer reporte nacional de técnica de puestow modificada para el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda recidivante en pediatría / First national report of modified puestow technique for the treatment of recurrent acute pancreatitis in pediatrics / Primeiro relatório nacional de técnica puestow modificada para o tratamento de pancreatite aguda recorrente em pediatria

Se comunica el primer reporte nacional del tratamiento de pancreatitis aguda recidivante mediante derivación Wirsung-yeyunal en pediatría. Se trata de un paciente con múltiples ingresos hospitalarios por episodios de pancreatitis, con complicaciones evolutivas de pseudoquistes pancreáticos, estenosis y litiasis del conducto de Wirsung. Se realiza derivación Wirsung-yeyunal por vía convencional con buena evolución posterior.

The first national report of the treatment of recurrent acute pancreatitis by means of Wirsung-jejunal diversion in pediatrics is communicated. This is a patient with multiple hospital admissions for episodes of pancreatitis, with evolutionary complications of pancreatic pseudocysts, stenosis, and Wirsung duct lithiasis. Wirsung-jejunal bypass was performed by conventional route with good subsequent evolution.

O primeiro relato nacional do tratamento de pancreatite aguda recorrente por derivação Wirsung-jejunal em pediatria é relatado. Trata-se de um paciente com múltiplas internações hospitalares por episódios de pancreatite, com complicações progressivas de pseudocistos pancreáticos, estenose e cálculos do ducto de Wirsung. A derivação Wirsung-jejunal foi realizada por via convencional com boa evolução posterior.

Ansa pancreática: desafio no diagnóstico etiológico em paciente jovem com pancreatite grave / Ansa pancreatica: etiological diagnosis challenge in a young patient with severe pancreatitis

A ansa pancreática é uma variação anatômica rara dos ductos pancreáticos. Consiste numa comunicação entre o ducto pancreático principal (Wirsung) e o ducto pancreático acessório (Santorini). Recentemente, estudos têm demonstrado estar essa variação anatômica implicada como fator predisponente e significativamente associada a episódios recorrentes de pancreatite aguda. A pancreatite é uma entidade clínica pouco frequente na infância. Diferente dos adultos, as causas mais comuns incluem infecções virais, por ascaris, medicamentosas, traumas e anomalias estruturais. O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar um caso de pancreatite aguda grave não alcoólica e não biliar, em um paciente jovem de 15 anos, em cuja propedêutica imagenológica evidenciou-se alça, comunicando com os ductos pancreáticos ventral e dorsal, compatível com ansa pancreática.

Ansa pancreatica is a rare anatomical variation of the pancreatic ducts. It consists of communication between the main pancreatic duct (Wirsung) and the accessory pancreatic duct (Santorini). Recently, studies have shown that this anatomical variation is implicated as a predisposing factor and significantly associated with recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a rare clinical entity in childhood. Different from that in the adults, the most common causes include viral and ascaris infections, drugs, traumas, and structural abnormalities. The objective of this study was to report a case of a severe non-alcoholic and non-biliary acute pancreatitis in a 15-year-old patient, whose propedeutic imaging showed a loop communicating with the ventral and dorsal pancreatic ducts, consistent with ansa pancreatica.

Hemosuccus pancreaticus: rara asociación entre pancreatitis aguda, alcoholismo y sesiones vasculares en la circulación esplácnica / Hemosuccus Pancreaticus: an unusual association of acute pancreatitis, alcoholism and vascular abnormalities of the splanchnic circulation

La pancreatitis aguda o crónica puede resultar en lesiones del conducto pancreático, además, la corrosión por el jugo pancreático puede provocar la ruptura de la pared vascular periférica, lo que conduce a hemosuccus pancreático (HP) definido como el sangrado del conducto pancreático a través de la ampolla de Vater. El sangrado suele ser intermitente, repetitivo y, a menudo, no lo suficientemente grave, como para causar inestabilidad hemodinámica. La mayoría de los pacientes tiene antecedentes de enfermedades pancreáticas originales y cuando esto no se cumple, debe incluirse en el diagnóstico diferencial para alcohólicos crónicos con hemorragia digestiva alta intermitente. Presentamos una forma clínica atípica en un paciente masculino de 55 años de edad, con antecedentes de HTA, alcoholismo y aneurisma de la aorta abdominal, quien consultó por dolor tipo cólico en abdomen superior, náuseas y vómitos; luego se asoció disminución del estado de conciencia, alternando con episodios de agitación psicomotriz y primo convulsión generalizada. Una vez ingresado, sucedieron varios episodios de melena. La tomografía abdominal mostró aumento de tamaño y densidad (unidades hounsfield de 58-61) en cabeza y cuerpo del páncreas, por lo que se realizó una angiografía abdominal con protocolo de páncreas y se evidenció doble lesión aneurismática de la arteria esplénica y la arteria gástrica. Falleció en el postoperatorio(AU)

Acute or chronic pancreatitis can result in lesions of the pancreatic duct; in addition, corrosion by the pancreatic juice can cause the rupture of the peripheral vascular wall, which leads to pancreatic hemosuccus defined as bleeding from the pancreatic duct through the Vater ampulla. Bleeding is often intermittent, repetitive, and often not severe enough to cause hemodynamic instability. Most of the cases have a history of strictly pancreatic original diseases, when this is not the case, the PH should be included in the differential diagnosis for chronic alcoholics with intermittent upper gastrointestinal bleeding, We report here an atypical presentation in a 55-year-old male patient with a history of hypertension, alcoholism and an abdominal aortic aneurysm. He consulted for colicky abdominal pain in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting; subsequently he presented decreased consciousness, alternating with episodes of psychomotor agitation and generalized seizures. Once hospitalized he had several bouts of melena. The abdominal tomography showed an increase in the size and density (hounsfield units of 58-61) of the head and body of the pancreas. An abdominal angiography with a pancreas protocol was performed, which evidenced a double aneurismal lesion of the splenic and gastric arteries. The patient died after surgery(AU)

Prediction of postoperative pancreatic fistula using a nomogram based on the updated definition

PURPOSE: The International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula's definition of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) has recently been updated. This study aimed to identify risk factors for POPF in patients having pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and to generate a nomogram to predict POPF.METHODS: Data on 298 patients who underwent PD from March 2012 to October 2017 was retrospectively reviewed and POPF statuses were redefined. A nomogram was constructed using data from 220 patients and validated using the remaining 78 patients. Independent risk factors for POPF were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses. A predictive nomogram was established based on the independent risk factors and was compared with existing models.RESULTS: Texture of the pancreas, size of the main pancreatic duct, portal vein invasion, and definitive pathology were the identified risk factors. The nomogram had a C-index of 0.793 and was internally validated. The nomogram performed better (C-index of 0.816) than the other most cited models (C-indexes of 0.728 and 0.735) in the validation cohort. In addition, the nomogram can assign patients into low- (less than 10%), intermediate- (10% to 30%), and high-risk (equal or higher than 30%) groups to facilitate personalized management.CONCLUSION: The nomogram accurately predicted POPF in patients having PD.

Canulación biliar difícil: precorte precoz tipo fistulotomía para evitar la pancreatitis post CPRE. Un análisis retrospectivo de dos años / Difficult biliary cannulation: early precut fistulotomy to avoid post ERCP pancreatitis. A retrospective analysis for two years

Antecedentes: La canulación biliar difícil es un factor de riesgo para la pancreatitis post-CPRE. En estos casos el precorte es la técnica más usada. Objetivo: Demostrar que el precorte tipo fistulotomía es seguro y eficaz. Materiales y métodos: Se revisaron los datos de mayo de 2016 a mayo de 2018. Se definió canulación difícil como: litiasis impactada, canulación inadvertida del conducto pancreático en tres ocasiones e incapacidad para lograr la canulación en 3 minutos. Las medidas de resultados fueron la canulación biliar exitosa y la pancreatitis post-CPRE. Resultados: Se realizó precorte tipo fistulotomía en 96 casos (67 mujeres, 29 hombres). La tasa de éxito de la canulación biliar fue del 95,8% (92/96). Ochenta pacientes tenían factores de riesgo para pancreatitis post CPRE: 29 tuvieron un solo factor de riesgo, 26 tuvieron dos, 19 tuvieron tres y 6 tuvieron cuatro. Factores de riesgo ampulares de canulación difícil: calculo impactado 9 casos, abultamiento de la papila en 10 casos, ubicación inferior del orificio papilar en 38 casos, localización parcial del poro papilar en 23 y estenosis del orificio papilar en 16 casos. Diez pacientes tuvieron divertículo periampular, 7 pacientes tuvieron conducto biliar normal. Ninguno de los pacientes experimentó pancreatitis. Tres pacientes tuvieron sangrado precoz, una paciente presento sangrado tardío. Un paciente (2%) tuvo fiebre y fue hospitalizado. Conclusiones: En casos de canulación biliar difícil el precorte tipo fistulotomía es seguro y eficaz.

Background: Difficult biliary cannulation is a risk factor for post-ERCP pancreatitis. In these cases, precutting is the most used technique. Objective: To demonstrate that precut fistulotomy is safe and effective. Materials and methods: Data from May 2016 to May 2018 were reviewed. Difficult cannulation was defined as: impacted lithiasis, inadvertent cannulation of the pancreatic duct on three occasions and inability to achieve deep biliary cannulation in 3 minutes. The outcome measures were successful biliary cannulation and post-ERCP Pancreatitis. Results: Precut fistulotomy was performed in 96 cases (67 women, 29 men). The success rate of biliary cannulation was 95.8% (92/96). Eighty patients had risk factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis: 29 had 1 risk factor, 26 had 2 risk factors, 19 had 3 risk factors, and 6 had four risk factors. Ampullary risk factors of difficult cannulation: impacted stone in the papilla: 9 cases, papilla bulging: 10 cases, lower location of the hole papillary 38 cases, partial location of the papillary pore 23 and papillary orifice stenosis 16 cases. Ten patients had periampullary diverticulum, 7 patients had normal bile duct. None of the patients experienced Pancreatitis. Three patients had early bleeding, one patient had late bleeding. One patient (2%) had a fever and was hospitalized. Conclusions: In cases of difficult biliary cannulation, the precut fistulotomy is safe and effective.

Utilidad de la colangiopancreatoscopia directa en el manejo del cálculo pancreático, a propósito de un caso (con video) / Usefulness of Direct Cholangiopancreatoscopy for Management of Pancreatic Calculi: Case Study (with video)

Resumen Se presenta el caso de un paciente con pancreatitis crónica y hallazgo de lesión quística en el ducto pancreático principal, a quien se le realizó colangioscopia directa tipo Spyglass y se encontró un gran cálculo impactado a nivel de la cabeza del páncreas, condicionando una formación pseudoquística. Se realizó litotricia láser y se logró la extracción en su totalidad, con lo cual se logró la remisión sintomática.

Abstract We present the case of a patient with chronic pancreatitis. After finding a cystic lesion in the main pancreatic duct, the patient underwent direct cholangioscopy using the SpyGlass DS System. A large impacted calculus and pseudocyst formation was found in the head of the pancreas. Laser lithotripsy was used to extract the entire calculus and symptomatic remission was achieved.

Incremental Role of Pancreatic Magnetic Resonance Imaging after Staging Computed Tomography to Evaluate Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of contrast enhanced pancreatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in resectability and prognosis evaluation after staging computed tomography (CT) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2012, 298 patients were diagnosed to have potentially resectable stage PDA on CT. Patients were divided into CT+MR (patients underwent both CT and MRI; n=216) and CT only groups (n=82). Changes in resectability staging in the CT+MR group were evaluated. The overall survival was compared between the two groups. The recurrence-free survival and median time to liver metastasis after curative surgery were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Staging was changed from resectable on CT to unresectable state on MRI in 14.4% of (31 of 216 patients) patients of the CT+MR group. The overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.162 and p=0.721, respectively). The median time to liver metastases after curative surgery in the CT+MR group (9.9 months) was significantly longer than that in the CT group (4.2 months) (p=0.011). CONCLUSION: Additional MRI resulted in changes of resectability and treatment modifications in a significant proportion of patients who have potentially resectable state at CT and in prolonged time to liver metastases in patients after curative surgery. Additional MRI to standard staging CT can be recommended for surgical candidates of PDA.

Gene expression profiling reveals upregulated FUT1 and MYBPC1 in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is associated with high risk of epithelial atypical growth and malignant transformation of the bile duct or gallbladder. However, overall changes in genetic expression have not been examined in children with PBM. Genome-wide expression was analyzed using peripheral blood samples from 10 children with PBM and 15 pediatric controls. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using microarray. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted using Gene Ontology and KEGG analyses. The top 5 in the up-regulated genes in PBM were verified with qRT-PCR. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive accuracy of selected genes for PBM. The microarray experiments identified a total of 876 DEGs in PBM, among which 530 were up-regulated and the remaining 346 were down-regulated. Verification of the top 5 up-regulated genes (TYMS, MYBPC1, FUT1, XAGE2, and GREB1L) by qRT-PCR confirmed the up-regulation of MYBPC1 and FUT1. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that FUT1 and MYBPC1 up-regulation could be used to predict PBM, with the area under the curve of 0.873 (95%CI=0.735−1.000) and 0.960 (95%CI=0.891−1.000), respectively. FUT1 and MYBPC1 were up-regulated in children with PBM, and could be used as potential biomarkers for PBM.

Comparison of the Diagnostic Performances of Same-session Endoscopic Ultrasound- and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography-guided Tissue Sampling for Suspected Biliary Strictures at Different Primary Tumor Sites / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Determining the cause of suspected biliary stricture is often challenging in clinical practice. We aimed to compare the diagnostic yields of endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue sampling (EUS-TS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-guided tissue sampling (ERCP-TS) in patients with suspected biliary stricture at different primary lesions. METHODS: We enrolled patients who underwent same-session EUS- and ERCP-TS for the evaluation of suspected biliary stricture. Forceps biopsy and/or brush cytology of intraductal lesions and fine-needle aspiration for solid mass lesions were performed during ERCP and EUS, respectively. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-five patients treated at our institution between January 2011 and September 2016, were initially considered for the study. However, 32 patients were excluded due to loss of follow-up (n=8) and ERCP-TS on the pancreatic duct (n=20) or periampullary lesions (n=4). Of the 93 patients included, 86 had a malignant tumor including cholangiocarcinoma (n=39), pancreatic cancer (n=37), and other malignancies (n=10). Seven patients had benign lesions. EUS-TS had higher rate of overall diagnostic accuracy than ERCP-TS (82.8% vs. 60.2%, p=0.001), and this was especially true for patients with a pancreatic lesion (84.4% vs. 51.1%, p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: EUS-TS was found to be superior to ERCP-TS for evaluating suspected biliary strictures, especially those caused by pancreatic lesions.

Stage 1A Pancreatic Cancer Initially Manifesting as Clinical Acute Pancreatitis / 대한내과학회지

Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis due to the difficulty of early diagnosis. Observation is recommended for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in elderly patients with risk factors such as newly diagnosed diabetes and chronic pancreatitis. A 66-year-old male suffered from acute pancreatitis of uncertain etiology. Initial pancreatic imaging showed a main pancreatic duct stricture at the pancreas body/tail junction and minimal duct dilatation without a visible mass. Eight months later, however, pancreatic imaging revealed a pancreatic mass at the previous stricture site with progression of the upstream duct dilation. The patient underwent distal pancreatectomy, and a pathologic examination showed stage 1A pancreatic cancer with a predominantly intraductal spreading pattern. We report a case of stage 1A pancreatic cancer that initially manifested as acute obstructive pancreatitis, which enabled early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Can Localized Stenosis of the Main Pancreatic Duct be a Predictive Factor for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer?

No abstract available.

Predictive Value of Localized Stenosis of the Main Pancreatic Duct for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of localized stenosis of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) for early detection of pancreatic cancer.METHODS: Among 689 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde pancreatography from January 2008 to September 2018, 19 patients with MPD findings were enrolled. These patients showed findings for indicating suspicious pancreatic cancer at an early stage (FiCE); FiCE was defined as a single, localized stenosis in the MPD without a detectable mass (using any other imaging methods) and without other pancreatic diseases, such as definite chronic pancreatitis, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, and autoimmune pancreatitis. Final diagnoses were established by examining resected specimens or through follow-up examinations after an interval of >5 years.RESULTS: Among 19 patients with FiCE, 11 underwent surgical resection and 8 were evaluated after a >5-year observation period. The final diagnosis of the MPD stenosis was judged to be pancreatic cancer in 9 patients (47%), including 3 with intraepithelial cancer, and to be a non-neoplastic change in 10. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of preoperative pancreatic juice cytology were 75%, 100%, and 88%, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: The predictive value of FiCE for pancreatic cancer prevalence was 47%. Histological confirmation with pancreatic juice cytology is necessary before surgical resection.

Risk Factors for Pancreatitis and Cholecystitis after Endoscopic Biliary Stenting in Patients with Malignant Extrahepatic Bile Duct Obstruction

BACKGROUND/AIMS: For the treatment of malignant biliary obstruction, endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) has been widely accepted as a standard procedure. However, post-ERBD complications can affect the lives of patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the predictive factors for these complications, including the patient’s status, cancer status, and stent type.METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis conducted in a single tertiary hospital from January 2007 to July 2017. The following variables were evaluated: sex, age, body mass index, cancer type, history of pancreatitis, gallbladder stone, previous biliary stenting, precut papillotomy, stent type, contrast injection into the pancreatic duct or gallbladder, cystic duct invasion by the tumor, and occlusion of the cystic duct orifice by a metal stent.RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that contrast injection into the pancreatic duct was a risk factor for pancreatitis. Patients with a history of bile drainage showed a lower risk of pancreatitis. For cholecystitis, the analysis revealed contrast injection into the gallbladder and cystic duct invasion by the tumor as important predictive factors. Metal stents showed a greater risk of post-procedure pancreatitis than plastic stents, but did not affect the incidence of cholecystitis.CONCLUSIONS: Considering that contrast injection is the most important factor for both complications, a careful approach by the physician is essential in preventing the occurrence of any complications. Further, choosing the type of stent is an important factor for patients at a risk of post-procedure pancreatitis.

Serous Cystadenoma of the Pancreas with Dilatation of Bile and Pancreatic Duct / 대한소화기학회지

No abstract available.

Clinical validation of the 2017 international consensus guidelines on intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas

PURPOSE: The 2017 international consensus guidelines (ICG) for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas were recently released. Important changes included the addition of worrisome features such as elevated serum CA 19-9 and rapid cyst growth (>5 mm over 2 years). We aimed to clinically validate the 2017 ICG and compare the diagnostic performance between the 2017 and 2012 ICG. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. During January 2000–January 2017, patients who underwent complete surgical resection and had pathologic confirmation of branch-duct or mixed-type IPMN were included. To evaluate diagnostic performance, the areas under the receiver operating curves (AUCs) were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 448 patients were included. The presence of mural nodule (hazard ratio [HR], 9.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.60–18.09; P = 0.001), main pancreatic duct dilatation (>5 mm) (HR, 5.32; 95% CI, 2.67–10.60; P = 0.001), thickened cystic wall (HR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.51–7.63; P = 0.003), and elevated CA 19-9 level (>37 unit/mL) (HR, 5.25; 95% CI, 2.05–13.42; P = 0.001) were significantly associated with malignant IPMN. Malignant lesions showed a cyst growth rate >5 mm over 2 years more frequently than benign lesions (60.9% vs. 29.7%, P = 0.012). The AUC was higher for the 2017 ICG than the 2012 ICG (0.784 vs. 0.746). CONCLUSION: The new 2017 ICG for IPMN is clinically valid, with a superior diagnostic performance to the 2012 ICG. The inclusion of elevated serum CA 19-9 level and cyst growth rate to the 2017 ICG is appropriate.

Management Algorithm of Pancreatic Calculi / 대한췌담도학회지

Pancreatic calculi associated with chronic pancreatitis lead to severe abdominal pain, which significantly reduces the quality of life of patients. Pancreatic calculi, especially those that obstruct the main pancreatic duct and cause abdominal pain, are considered to be treated. First, if pancreatic calculi are located in the head or body and the size is less than 5 mm, endoscopic removal can be attempted. If the size is greater than 5 mm, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy may be performed first, and subsequent endoscopic removal may be considered depending on the results. If such treatment fails, pancreatoscopic lithotripsy or surgery should be considered. Pancreatic duct stenting may be used as a bridge therapy during this process.

Metabolic Profiling of Plasma from Pancreatic Cancer Patients in Korea / 대한췌담도학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pancreatic cancer (PC) patients have poor prognoses because this cancer is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage and the therapeutic options are limited. We examined the potential of metabolic profiling for early diagnosis and identification of potential therapeutic targets. METHODS: Ten patients and 10 healthy volunteer controls older than 20 years of age were enrolled between May and December 2015. The patients were confirmed to have pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cytologically or histologically. Blood plasma samples were derivatized and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Untargeted GC-MS data were analyzed using statistical methods, including Wilcoxon rank-sum test and principal component analyses. RESULTS: L-lysine was 1.36-fold higher in patients than in healthy controls (p<0.05). L-leucine was 0.63-fold lower (p<0.01) and palmitic acid was 0.93-fold lower (p<0.5) in patients than in controls. Orthogonal partial least squared-discriminant analysis revealed significant differences between the patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the metabolic profiles of patients with PC are distinct from those of the healthy population. Further studies are required to develop methods for early diagnosis and identify therapeutic targets.