Characteristic changes in the concentrations of some peptide hormones, in particular those regulating serum calcium, in acute pancreatitis and myocardial infarction.

Abstract

In order to further investigate hormonal changes and possible metabolic consequences in acute pancreatitis, 10 cases with a mild form of the disease was studied. The influence of tissue injury per se on the hormones in question was assessed from comparison with the hormone levels in the course of myocardial infarction (MI) in 9 cases. Insulin and glucose showed no consistent changes. Glucagon was suppressed on admission, 22 +/- 10 pg . ml-1, compared with the ultimate concentration, 40 +/- 20 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.05), and with the initial value in MI, 74 +/- 32 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.01). Serum calcitonin (CT) was strongly elevated initially, 348 +/- 313 pg . ml-1, compared with the ultimate level, 24 +/- 7 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.001), and with the normal initial level in MI, 43 +/- 44 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.01). Serum CT elevations were time-related to a slight reduction in corrected serum Ca, which might reflect a biological expression of this substance. In pancreatitis, parathyroid hormone (PTH) remained normal and unchanged throughout the study, whereas patients with MI had an increased level of this hormone on admission, 0.19 +/- 0.08 microgramEq . 1(-1), compared with the ultimate concentration, 0.09 +/- 0.03 microgram/q . 1(-1) (p less than 0.02) and with the initial concentration in pancreatitis, 0.11 +/- 0.06 microgramEq . 1(-1) (p less than 0.05). Supranormal PTH levels were found in more than half of the infarction patients on days 0 and 1.