Significance of measurement of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in acute pancreatitis

Determination of the severity of acute pancreatitis is difficult in the early phase after onset, and we often encounter difficulties in making decisions to initiate intensive care during the early phase. Therefore, there is real need for a simple and inexpensive method that can precisely evaluate the severity of acute pancreatitis. In the present study, we measured serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in 20 patients with acute pancreatitis, using a high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) assay method. CRP levels were as low as 1.0, 0.4, and 0.3 mg/dl in cases 2, 3, and 9, respectively, with severe acute pancreatitis. These three patients were hospitalized within 24 h after the onset of pancreatitis. Cases 2, 3, and 9 showed high hs-CRP levels, of 209 000, 68 600, and 154 000 ng/ml, respectively, and their interleukin (IL)-6 levels were above 500 pg/ml. The mean hs-CRP level was 222 760 +/- 32 197 ng/ml in patients with severe acute pancreatitis and 22 798 +/- 8216 ng/ml in patients with mild to moderate pancreatitis, with a significantly higher level in the severe cases. Cases 14, 16, and 20, with mild to moderate pancreatitis, had hs-CRP levels of 83 400, 1800, and 55 400 ng/ml, respectively. Measurement of hs-CRP levels is a simple and inexpensive method. The hs-CRP levels were found to significantly increase in the early phase of severe acute pancreatitis, suggesting that hs-CRP could possibly serve as an early indicator of the progression of acute pancreatitis into a serious state.