Clinical value of serum triglyceride in evaluating the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the relationship between the level of serum triglyceride (TG) and the early onset and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods Retrospective analysis of 238 patients with primary AP admitted to the General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command from January 2012 to October 2019 was performed. Serum TG level was measured at 48 h after admission. According to the different TG levels, the patients were divided into normal TG group, mildly-high TG group, moderately-high TG group, severely-high TG group and extremely severely-high TG group. Serum inflammatory makers, organ injury, pancreatic necrosis, prognosis and mortality were observed. Results In the 238 cases, 78 had a normal TG level, 160 had a high-level TG. The white blood cell count (WBC) and the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-33, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in all TG elevated groups were significantly higher than those in the normal TG group (P<0.05). The serum inflammatory markers in the TG elevated groups increased with the increase of TG concentration, and the differences were statistically significant in each group (P<0.05). The serum amylase (AMY), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of each elevated TG group were significantly lower than those in normal TG group (P<0.05). Compared with normal TG group, serum levels of creatinine (Cr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) increased significantly in elevated TG groups (P<0.05). Serum Cr and BUN in the elevated TG groups increased with the increase of TG concentration (P<0.05). Persistent multi-organ failure, pancreatic necrosis and fatality rate were significantly increased in elevated TG groups, with statistically significant differences compared with normal TG group (P<0.05). Conclusions Serum TG level is an independent factor to evaluate the severity and prognosis of AP. The effective reduction of serum TG content may be one of the important means to reduce the incidence, complication and mortality of TG associated AP.