Semi-automated software improves interrater reliability and reduces processing time of magnetic resonance imaging-based exocrine pancreatic assessments in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with secretin stimulation (MR-PFTs) is a non-invasive test for pancreatic exocrine function based on assessing the volume of secreted bowel fluid in vivo. Adoption of this methodology in clinical care and research is largely limited to qualitative assessment of secretion as current methods for secretory response quantification require manual thresholding and segmentation of MR images, which can be time-consuming and prone to interrater variability. We describe novel software (PFTquant) that preprocesses and thresholds MR images, performs heuristic detection of non-bowel fluid objects, and provides the user with intuitive semi-automated tools to segment and quantify bowel fluid in a fast and robust manner. We evaluate the performance of this software on a retrospective set of clinical MRIs. METHODS: Twenty MRIs performed in children (< 18 years) were processed independently by two observers using a manual technique and using PFTquant. Interrater agreement in measured secreted fluid volume was compared using intraclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman difference analysis, and Dice similarity coefficients. RESULTS: Interrater reliability of measured bowel fluid secretion using PFTquant was 0.90 (0.76-0.96 95% C.I.) with - 4.5 mL mean difference (-39.4-30.4 mL 95% limits of agreement) compared to 0.69 (0.36-0.86 95% C.I.) with - 0.9 mL mean difference (-77.3-75.5 mL 95% limits of agreement) for manual processing. Dice similarity coefficients were better using PFTquant (0.88 +/- 0.06) compared to manual processing (0.85 +/- 0.10) but not significantly (p = 0.11). Time to process was significantly (p < 0.001) faster using PFTquant (412 +/- 177 s) compared to manual processing (645 +/- 305 s). CONCLUSION: Novel software provides fast, reliable quantification of secreted fluid volume in children undergoing MR-PFTs. Use of the novel software could facilitate wider adoption of quantitative MR-PFTs in clinical care and research.

Association of serum cytokines with pancreatic function in patients after acute pancreatitis / 中华消化杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of cytokines on pancreatic function in patients after acute pancreatitis(AP) and its mechanisms. Methods Fifty-nine patients (mild in 25 and severe in 34) after AP and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of cytokines including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor(EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), regeneration protein(Reg)-1 and Reg-4 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fasting blood-glucose, insulin, C-peptide and fecal elastase 1 (FE1) were detected for evluation of endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function. The association of pancreatic function with clinical parameters and serum cytokines was analyzed. Results The expression of FE1 was lower in patients [(205.9±18.3) μg/g] after AP in comparison with the controls [(333.9±19.7) μg/g, P<0. 01], but levels of fasting blood-glucose, C-peptide and insulin were higher in patients group (P<0.01). Serum level of HGF was higher in patients with insufficient pancreatic exoerine [(983.76±372.65) pg/ml] than those with normal exocrine function [(263.44±110. 35) pg/ml]. Meanwhile,EGF level was higher in patients with DM after AP [(704.41±190. 37) pg/ml] than those without DM [(360. 03±48.39) pg/mh P<0.05]. There was a negatively correlation between FE1 and HGF (P ＜0. 01). The abnormal fasting blood glucose was correlated with CT grading (P<0. 05).Conclusions The patients after AP develope insufficient exocrine and endocrine function. Serum EGF and HGF may be associated with restoration of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine function.

Exogenous cysteamine increases basal pancreatic exocrine secretion in the rat

To determine whether exocrine pancreatic secretion is regulated by endogenous somatostatin, somatostatin deficiency was induced by cysteamine. Rats were subcutaneously administered a single dose of cysteamine (30 mg/100 g body weight) 12 hr before experiment. Anesthetized rats were prepared with cannulation into bile duct, pancreatic duct, duodenum, and jugular vein and pancreatic juice was collected. For in vitro study, isolated pancreata of rats, pretreated with cysteamine, were perfused with an intraarterial infusion of Krebs-Henseleit solution (37 degrees C) at 1.2 mL/min, and pancreatic juice was collected in 15-min samples. In vivo experiment of the rat, the mean basal pancreatic secretions, including volume, bicarbonate, and protein output were significantly increased from 18.4+/-0.5 microL/30 min, 0.58+/-0.05 microEq/30 min, and 214.0+/-26.1 microg/30 min to 51.6+/-3.7 microL/30 min, 1.52+/-0.11 microEq/30 min, and 569.8+/-128.9 microg/30 min, respectively (p<0.05). In the isolated perfused pancreas, cysteamine also resulted in a significant increase in basal pancreatic secretion (p<0.05). Simultaneous intraarterial infusion of octreotide (10 pmol/hr) to isolated pancreata partially reversed the effect of cysteamine on basal pancreatic secretion. These findings suggest that endogenous somatostatin play an important role on the regulation of basal pancreatic exocrine secretion.

Pancreatic function monitoring after upper abdominal cluster transplantation / 中国普通外科杂志

Objective To explore the monitoring methods for pancreatic graft function after upper abdominal cluster transplantation.Methods Analysis of the clinical data of 5 cases of successful upper abdominal(cluster) transplantation in our center.Results The patients recovered well after the operation.Endocrine and exocrine functions of all the pancreas graft returned to normal without any rejection.Conclusions Dynamic monitoring of blood glucose,C-peptide,blood insulin,blood amylase,urine amylase,amylase in abdominal drainage and duodenal tube decompression drainage,in addition to Doppler color ultrasound examination,can effectively detect the endocrine and exocrine function of the pancreas graft.