Admission plasma cholecystokinin levels are low both in acute alcoholic and biliary pancreatitis

Abstract

Background Recent studies have shown that cholecystokinin (CCK) agonist, cerulein can induce acute pancreatitis in animals. The role of CCK in the induction of acute pancreatitis in man is unclear. We investigated admission plasma CCK levels in alcoholic and biliary pancreatitis. Method Plasma CCK concentrations were determined by a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassey using CCK antiserum (Euro-Diagnostica, Malmti, Sweden) in 35 patients with acute alcoholic pancreatitis, in 27 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis, in 34 patients with non-pancreatic acute abdominal pain and in 43 healthy subjects. The mean time from the first symptoms to the plasma sample was 31 ( ± 3.7) hours in alcoholic pancreatitis patients and 25 ( ± 5.1) hours in biliary pancreatitis patients. Normal fasting level of CCK is _ 1.12 pmol/1) significantly more often in non-pancreatic acute abdominal pain patients than in alcoholic pancreatitis patients (12/34 vs 0/35, p=0.00006) or biliary pancreatitis patients (12/34 vs 1/27, p=0.002) and also significantly more often in healthy subjects than in alcoholic pancreatitis patients (17/43 vs 0/35, p=0.000007) or biliary pancreatitis patients (17/43 vs 1/27, p=0.0005). Conclusion Basal plasma CCK concentrations are significantly decreased in acute alcoholic and biliary pancreatitis early in the course of the disease.