Predictive Value of Serum NGAL and B2 Microglobulin in Blood and Urine amongst Patients with Acute Pancreatitis and Acute Kidney Injury

Objective: This study aimed to explore the predictive value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and β2 microglobulin (β2-MG) in blood and urine amongst patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: The clinical data of 80 patients with AP, who were treated in the study hospital from November 2019, to November 2022, were selected for retrospective analysis. They were divided into AKI group (n = 25) and non-AKI group (n = 55) in accordance with the presence of AKI. The levels of serum NGAL and β2-MG in blood and urine were compared in both groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of AKI in patients with AP and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of serum NGAL and β2-MG in the blood and urine of patients with AKI and AP. Results: The AKI group had higher serum NGAL and β2-MG in blood and urine than the non-AKI group. Logistic regression analysis showed that the high levels of serum NGAL and β2-MG in blood and urine were risk factors for AKI in patients with AP (p < 0.05). The areas under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of the combined prediction were 0.97, 84.00% and 98.20%, respectively, showing a good prediction efficiency. Conclusions: The increased levels of serum NGAL and β2-MG in blood and urine have a warning significance for patients with AP and AKI and a certain predictive value. So, their combination detection provides a reliable reference for the identification of clinical AKI (AU)

Utility of point-of-care urine trypsinogen dipstick test for diagnosing acute pancreatitis in an emergency unit.

Background: A point-of-care diagnostic test for acute pancreatitis could help in early triage and management of this condition. Materials & methods: Urine trypsinogen dipstick test (UTDT) was performed in consecutive cases suspected to have acute pancreatitis and diagnostic accuracy calculated. Results: Of 187 patients, 90 were have acute pancreatitis and UTDT was positive in 61 (67.7%). In the 97 non pancreatitis cases, UTDT was positive in nine (9.3%). The sensitivity and specificity of UTDT for acute pancreatitis was 67.8% and 90.7%, respectively. In patients presenting within 3 days of abdominal pain, sensitivity and specificity were 72.7% and 91.8%, respectively. Discussion: While offering the possibility of a point of care diagnosis, the low sensitivity of UTDT could be a concern with its routine use.

Potential Prognostic Markers of Acute Kidney Injury in the Early Phase of Acute Pancreatitis.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of acute pancreatitis (AP), which occurs in up to 70% of patients with severe AP and significantly increases the risk of mortality. At present, AKI is diagnosed based on dynamic increase in serum creatinine and decreased urine output; however, there is a need for earlier and more accurate biomarkers. The aim of the study was to review current evidence on the laboratory tests that were studied as the potential biomarkers of AKI in AP. We also briefly summarized the knowledge coming from the studies including sepsis or ICU patients since severe acute pancreatitis is associated with systemic inflammation and organ failure. Serum cystatin C and serum or urine NGAL have been shown to predict or diagnose AKI in AP; however, this evidence come from the single center studies of low number of patients. Other markers, such as urinary kidney injury molecule-1, cell cycle arrest biomarkers (tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-2 and urine insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7), interleukin-18, liver-type fatty acid-binding protein, or calprotectin have been studied in other populations suffering from systemic inflammatory states. In AP, the potential markers of AKI may be significantly influenced by either dehydration or inflammation, and the impact of these factors may be difficult to distinguish from kidney injury. The subject of AKI complicating AP is understudied. More studies are needed, for both exploratory (to choose the best markers) and clinical (to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the chosen markers in real clinical settings).

SerpinA3 in the Early Recognition of Acute Kidney Injury to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) transition in the rat and its Potentiality in the Recognition of Patients with CKD.

Recognizing patients at early phases of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is difficult, and it is even more challenging to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) and its transition to CKD. The gold standard to timely identify renal fibrosis is the kidney biopsy, an invasive procedure not usually performed for this purpose in clinical practice. SerpinA3 was identified by high-resolution-mass-spectrometry in urines from animals with CKD. An early and progressive elevation of urinary SerpinA3 (uSerpinA3) was observed during the AKI to CKD transition together with SerpinA3 relocation from the cytoplasm to the apical tubular membrane in the rat kidney. uSerpinA3/alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was significantly increased in patients with CKD secondary to focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV) and proliferative class III and IV lupus nephritis (LN). uSerpinA3 levels were independently and positively associated with renal fibrosis. In patients with class V LN, uSerpinA3 levels were not different from healthy volunteers. uSerpinA3 was not found in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases without renal dysfunction. Our observations suggest that uSerpinA3 can detect renal fibrosis and inflammation, with a particular potential for the early detection of AKI to CKD transition and for the differentiation among lupus nephritis classes III/IV and V.

Characterization of serum irisin in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Irisin, as a novel and versatile hormone secreted by skeletal myocytes and fat tissues, is reported to be involved in inflammation-related diseases; one of the main characteristics of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is inflammatory responses. This study aims to describe the characteristics of irisin in SAP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Here, we enrolled 50 controls, 20 with no acute pancreatitis (AP), 20 AP, and 12 SAP patients, determined white blood cell, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, urine amylase, blood lipase, and serum irisin using an analyzer and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the indicated time-points, analyzed the correlations of irisin with blood glucose, sex, and age, and then predicted the morality and complications of organ failure and/or exacerbations of comorbidities in SAP by irisin. RESULTS: The results showed no significant difference in all groups in the clinical parameters (P>0.05), except that white blood cell was significantly higher in no AP, AP, and SAP than the controls (P<0.05). In addition, irisin levels were significantly lower and maintained a steadily low trend in the process of SAP than others (P<0.05), whereas C-reactive protein, urine amylase, and blood lipase in the SAP and AP groups were higher than others and kept decreasing tendency (P<0.01). Moreover, the irisin level in female SAP patients was significantly higher than that in male patients, but no differences were found in the other groups (P>0.05). In addition, the correlation between irisin levels and blood glucose was better in the SAP group than that between irisin levels and age in SAP patients and controls, although a relatively better correlation was found in SAP patients than the controls. Finally, the prognostic significance of mortality and complications of SAP according to irisin levels represented significantly, especially for complications of organ failure and/or exacerbations of comorbidities in female SAP. CONCLUSION: Therefore, serum irisin level has unique characteristics and may be an independent factor and useful to predict the mortality, and complications in SAP patients, especially in female SAP patients.

Usefulness of urinary trypsinogen-2 and trypsinogen activation peptide in acute pancreatitis: A multicenter study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Rapid urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test and levels of urinary trypsinogen-2 and trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP) concentration have been reported as prognostic markers for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. AIM: To reconfirm the validity of all these markers in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis by undertaking a multi-center study in Japan. METHODS: Patients with acute abdominal pain were recruited from 17 medical institutions in Japan from April 2009 to December 2012. Urinary and serum samples were collected twice, at enrollment and on the following day for measuring target markers. The diagnosis and severity assessment of acute pancreatitis were assessed based on prognostic factors and computed tomography (CT) Grade of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare criteria. RESULTS: A total of 94 patients were enrolled during the study period. The trypsinogen-2 dipstick test was positive in 57 of 78 patients with acute pancreatitis (sensitivity, 73.1%) and in 6 of 16 patients with abdominal pain but without any evidence of acute pancreatitis (specificity, 62.5%). The area under the curve (AUC) score of urinary trypsinogen-2 according to prognostic factors was 0.704, which was highest in all parameter. The AUC scores of urinary trypsinogen-2 and TAP according to CT Grade were 0.701 and 0.692, respectively, which shows higher than other pancreatic enzymes. The levels of urinary trypsinogen-2 and TAP were significantly higher in patients with extended extra-pancreatic inflammation as evaluated by CT Grade. CONCLUSION: We reconfirmed urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test is useful as a marker for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Urinary trypsinogen-2 and TAP may be considered as useful markers to determine extra-pancreatic inflammation in acute pancreatitis.

Evaluation of HVHF for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis accompanying MODS.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) prevention is key to severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) treatment and the assessment of high-volume hemofiltration (HVHF) for treating SAP accompanying multiple organ dysfunction syndromes.In this prospective controlled study, 40 SAP patients were divided into 2 groups: control (n = 22, treated with fasting, decompression, and intravenous somatostatin) and HVHF (n = 18, HVHF administration in addition to the treatment in the control group) groups; and were assessed for serum and urine amylase, WBC, C-reactive protein (CRP), and hepatic and renal functions. Vital signs and abdominal symptoms were recorded, and complications and mortality were analyzed.APACHE II scores in the HVHF group were significantly lower than in the control group at 3 and 7 days (6.3 ±â€Š1.7 vs 9.2 ±â€Š2.1 and 3.3 ±â€Š0.8 vs 6.2 ±â€Š1.7, respectively). Compared with controls, serum, and urine amylase, WBC, CRP, and organ functions significantly improved after HVHF treatment. Meanwhile, mortality (16.7% vs 31.8%) and complication (11.1% vs 40.9%) rates were significantly reduced.The other clinical parameters were significantly ameliorated by HVHF. HVHF rapidly reduces abdominal symptoms and improves prognosis, reducing mortality in SAP patients; and is likely through systemic inflammatory response syndrome attenuation in the early disease stage.

Microproteinuria Predicts Organ Failure in Patients Presenting with Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The disease course of acute pancreatitis (AP) ranges from mild and self-limiting to severe inflammation, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. At present, there are no universally accepted and reliable predictors for severity. Microproteinuria has been associated with the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome as well as trauma, although its association with AP is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of microproteinuria to predict development of organ failure in AP. METHODS: Consecutive AP patients were prospectively enrolled. Urine samples were collected upon admission, 12-24 h after admission, and 3 months post-discharge for calculation of urine α1-microglobulin-, albumin-, IgG-, and IgM/creatinine ratios. Data regarding AP etiology, severity, and development of organ failure were registered. RESULTS: Overall, 92 AP patients were included (14 % with organ failure; 6 % with severe AP). The α1-microglobulin-, albumin-, and IgG/creatinine ratios correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein 48 h after admission (r = 0.47-0.61, p < 0.001 for all). They were also significantly higher in patients with versus without organ failure (p < 0.05 for all). The α1-microglobulin/creatinine ratio upon admission predicted organ failure [adjusted odds ratio 1.286, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.024-1.614] with similar accuracy (AUROC 0.81, 95 % CI 0.69-0.94) as the more complex APACHE II score (AUROC 0.86, 95 % CI 0.70-1.00). CONCLUSION: The α1-microglobulin/creatinine ratio upon presentation with AP is related to inflammation and predicts development of organ failure. Further studies are warranted to evaluate its potential usefulness in predicting outcome for AP patients.

Urine NGAL is useful in the clinical evaluation of renal function in the early course of acute pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a serious early complications in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) that signifcantly increases mortality rates compared to patients without AKI. The early diagnosis of AKI during its treatable phases and implementation of appropriate treatment protocols can improve outcomes for this group of patients. A promising biomarker for AKI is neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). AIM: This study evaluated the diagnostic value of NGAL concentrations in serum and in urine for patients developing AKI as an early complication of AP compared to AP patients without AKI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group composed of 65 patients (34 men and 31 women) with a mean age of 62.2 ± 16 years with AP and hospitalized in the Surgery Department of the Direct Hospital in Sucha Beskidzka, Poland between January and December 2014. Serum NGAL (sNGAL) levels were measured with the BioVendor ELISA kit, and urine NGAL (uNGAL) with the Abbott ARCHITECT Analyzer. RESULTS: In the early phase of AP, 11 patients (17%) developed AKI, including 10 patients with stage 1 and one with stage 2. AKI was associated with more severe AP, higher BISAP scores, the need for more intensive treatment, longer hospital stays and higher mortality. Both serum and urine NGAL concentrations were signifcantly higher in patients with AKI throughout the study and signifcantly predicted AKI in simple and multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities. Serum and urine NGAL concentrations were signifcantly correlated with levels of serum urea, creatinine, urine albumin, and the maximum change in serum creatinine. Serum and urine NGAL levels also correlated positively with direct neutrophil counts and CRP concentrations throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of NGAL levels, particularly in urine, is simple, easy to interpret, routinely available, and clinically useful in the assessment of dynamic changes in kidney function for patients with AP.

Progress of pancreatitis disease biomarker alpha amylase enzyme by new nano optical sensor.

A new nano optical sensor binuclear Pd-(2-aminothiazole) (urea), Pd(atz,ur) complex was prepared and characterized for the assessment of the activity of alpha amylase enzyme in urine and serum samples for early diagnosis of Pancreatitis disease. The assessment of alpha amylase activity is carried out by the quenching of the luminescence intensity of the nano optical sensor binuclear Pd(atz,ur) complex at 457nm by the 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (2-CNP) which produced from the reaction of the enzyme with 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl-α-d-maltotrioside (CNPG3) substrate. The remarkable quenching of the luminescence intensity at 457nm of nano Pd(atz,ur) doped in sol-gel matrix by various concentrations of the 2-CNP was successfully used as an optical sensor for the assessment of α-amylase activity. The calibration plot was achieved over the concentration range 8.5×10(-6) to 1.9×10(-9)molL(-1) 2-CNP with a correlation coefficient of (0.999) and a detection limit of (7.4×10(-10)molL(-1)). The method was used satisfactorily for the assessment of the α-amylase activity over activity range (3-321U/L) in different urine and serum samples of pancreatitis patients. The assessment of the alpha amylase biomarker by the proposed method increases its sensitivity (96.88%) and specificity (94.41%) for early diagnosis of pancreatitis diseases.

Association of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine With Acute Pancreatitis-Induced Hyperglycemia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, oxidative-nitrosative damage, and glucoregulation in acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: The study evaluated serum levels of ADMA, nitrotyrosine, and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in 40 male patients hospitalized for AP at baseline and at 2 and 10 days of treatment, respectively. The patients were classified into a mild and a moderately severe AP group (MAP and MSAP, respectively) according to Atlanta classification criteria. Glycemic status was evaluated by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test 1 month after AP onset. Forty age-matched healthy subjects served as control subjects. RESULTS: Significant decrease of ADMA and increased levels of nitrotyrosine and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine were found in MSAP, but not in MAP at baseline, with ADMA correction toward control levels at the 10th day of treatment. Fructosamine was found to significantly influence ADMA levels (r = -0.362, P = 0.002). After AP recovery, either impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes was identified with the oral glucose tolerance test in 10.5% and 92.8% of patients with MAP and MSAP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis, through reduced bioavailability of ADMA, might be a novel significant contributory factor to the severity of AP and subsequent development of hyperglycemia.

Early prediction of severe acute pancreatitis by urinary ß-2 microglobulin/saposin B peak ratios on MALDI-TOF.

The current methods for predicting severe acute pancreatitis (severe AP) are either complicated or lack efficient sensitivity and specificity. In this study, a simple and practical approach was developed to predict severe AP by using peak intensity ratio of urinary ß-2 microglobulin (B2M) to saposin B (SB) on MALDI-TOF MS. Patients with B2M/SB ratio higher than 1.127 present severe AP symptom with a higher Ranson score, computed tomography (CT) grade and longer hospitalization with a sensitivity of 83.7% and specificity of 74.3%. Label-free quantitative proteomics by nanoLC-MS/MS was applied to urine of severe AP patients and found that severe AP is accompanied with kidney injury and inflammation. The measurement of B2M/SB ratios by MALDI-TOF MS could be a simple, accurate and rapid method to diagnose severe AP as well as to monitor AP progression.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as an early predictor of disease severity and mortality in acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: In reference to our earlier publication, laboratory tests that reflect severe intravascular volume depletion can be used for predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). The aim of the study was to assess whether urinary level of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) could represent a useful marker of AP severity. METHODS: We observed a cohort of 104 prospectively enrolled patients. The patients were classified into 3 groups: mild AP, moderately severe AP, and severe AP. Urine samples were collected on admission (NGAL-as) and during the first 24 hours (NGAL-first day) for examination of urinary level of NGAL concentrations from the first day. RESULTS: Acute pancreatitis was considered severe in 16 (15%) patients, moderately severe in 25 (24%) patients, and mild in 63 (61%) patients.There were statistically significant trends for an increase in severity (P = 0.04, P = 0.003) and mortality (P < 0.031, P = 0.01) with raising NGAL-as and NGAL-first day concentrations, respectively. The areas under the curve for severity predicted by NGAL-as and NGAL-first day were 0.75 and 0.93, respectively. The areas under the curve for mortality prediction by NGAL-as and NGAL-first day were 0.980 and 0.92, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The urinary level of NGAL is a promising new diagnostic and prognostic factor for severe AP in an early stage of the disease.

Urinary amylase/urinary creatinine ratio (uAm/uCr)--a less-invasive parameter for management of hyperamylasemia.

BACKGROUND: The serum level of amylase (sAm) is commonly used as a biochemical marker for diagnosis and management of pancreatic disorders. However, the use of the urine level of amylase (uAm) is limited in practice, because the diagnostic ability of uAm is inferior to that of sAm. In the present study, the possible concordance of uAm-rerated parameters with sAm was investigated, and evaluate the usefulness of uAm for management of hyperamylasemia. METHODS: From June 1995 to October 2009, 804 samples of both urine and blood were collected from 128 patients in order to measure the serum level of amylase (sAm) and the urine level of amylase (uAm) and creatinine (uCr). Concordance of parameters using uAm compared to sAm was assessed. Parameters used were uAm, amylase creatinine clearance ratio (ACCR), and the ratio of uAm to uCr (uAm/uCr). RESULTS: uAm/uCr had the best correlation with sAm (r = 0.779, p < 0.001) compared to uAm (r = 0.620, p < 0.001) and to ACCR (r = 0.374, p < 0.001), when sAm was over the standard level. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of uAm/uCr (0.884) was significantly higher than that of uAm (0.766) and of ACCR (0.666) (p < 0.001 for each). The cutoff value of uAm/uCr was 569.8, with a sensitivity of 81.0% and a specificity of 83.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The uAm/uCr ratio correlated with sAm, and may be an alternative to sAm for prediction of hyperamylasemia. Use of urine samples results in a decreased need for blood sampling, which is especially beneficial in pediatric patients.

Urinary trypsinogen-2 for diagnosing acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, serum amylase and lipase are the most popular laboratory markers for early diagnosis of acute pancreatitis with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. Urinary trypsinogen-2 (UT-2) has been increasingly used but its clinical value for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis has not yet been systematically assessed. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive search was carried out using PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and Web of Science for clinical trials, which studied the usefulness of UT-2 as a diagnostic marker for acute pancreatitis. Sensitivity, specificity and the diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each study and were compared with serum amylase and lipase. Summary receiver-operating curves were conducted and the area under the curve (AUC) was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of UT-2 for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis were 80% and 92%, respectively (AUC=0.96, DOR=65.63, 95% CI: 31.65-139.09). The diagnostic value of UT-2 was comparable to serum amylase but was weaker than serum lipase. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis were 86% and 94%, respectively (AUC=0.92, DOR=77.68, 95% CI: 24.99-241.48). CONCLUSIONS: UT-2 as a rapid test could be potentially used for the diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis and to an extent, acute pancreatitis. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results.

Prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis on admission by urinary trypsinogen activation peptide: a meta-analysis.

AIM: To undertake a meta-analysis on the value of urinary trypsinogen activation peptide (uTAP) in predicting severity of acute pancreatitis on admission. METHODS: Major databases including Medline, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library were searched to identify all relevant studies from January 1990 to January 2013. Pooled sensitivity, specificity and the diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) with 95%CI were calculated for each study and were compared to other systems/biomarkers if mentioned within the same study. Summary receiver-operating curves were conducted and the area under the curve (AUC) was evaluated. RESULTS: In total, six studies of uTAP with a cut-off value of 35 nmol/L were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of uTAP for predicting severity of acute pancreatitis, at time of admission, was 71% and 75%, respectively (AUC = 0.83, DOR = 8.67, 95%CI: 3.70-20.33). When uTAP was compared with plasma C-reactive protein, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, AUC and DOR were 0.64 vs 0.67, 0.77 vs 0.75, 0.82 vs 0.79 and 6.27 vs 6.32, respectively. Similarly, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, AUC and DOR of uTAP vs Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II within the first 48 h of admission were found to be 0.64 vs 0.69, 0.77 vs 0.61, 0.82 vs 0.73 and 6.27 vs 4.61, respectively. CONCLUSION: uTAP has the potential to act as a stratification marker on admission for differentiating disease severity of acute pancreatitis.

[Acute pancreatitis is unknown etiology in a 15 years old teenager].

The article describes a case of acute pancreatitis in progressing course, of unspecified etiology of a 15 year old child with a lethal outcome. It is stated 6.5 times increased amylase blood and 13.5 times increased diastase of urine.

Validity of the urinary trypsinogen-2 test in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: A simple urinary trypsinogen-2 test was evaluated for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. METHODS: This prospective multicenter study enrolled consecutive patients with acute abdominal pain who presented to the emergency department or who were hospitalized at 1 of 21 medical institutions in Japan. Patients were tested with urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test and a quantitative trypsinogen-2 assay, and these values were compared with serum amylase and lipase findings. RESULTS: A total of 412 patients were enrolled. The trypsinogen-2 dipstick test was positive in 107 of 156 patients with acute pancreatitis (sensitivity, 68.6%) and in 33 of 256 patients with nonpancreatic abdominal pain (specificity, 87.1%). The sensitivity for the diagnosis of pancreatitis caused by alcohol and gallstones by the dipstick test was 72.2% and 81.8%, respectively, which was much higher than those associated with amylase testing. There are several degrees of positivity within the urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test. Modification of the cutoff point such that positive (+) and most positive (++) results were interpreted as a positive result, the specificity and positive likelihood ratio increased to 92.2% and 7.63, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This simple, rapid, easy, and noninvasive urinary trypsinogen-2 test can diagnose or rule out most cases of acute pancreatitis.

Rapid urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip in the diagnosis of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of the rapid urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip in post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis. METHODS: A total of 150 patients were tested with the urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip and serum levels of amylase and lipase before ERCP and 3 hours after ERCP. The diagnostic value of urinary trypsinogen-2 strip test compared with that of serum amylase and lipase was analyzed. RESULTS: Post-ERCP pancreatitis was diagnosed in 13 (8.7%) of 150 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test at 3 hours after ERCP are 84.6%, 97.1%, 73.3%, 98.5%, and 96%, respectively. At the cutoff level of 3 times the upper reference limit, the negative predictive values of amylase and lipase were comparable to that urinary trypsinogen-2 strip test; however, their positive predictive values (42.9% and 36.4%, respectively) were markedly lower than that of urinary trypsinogen-2 test (73.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick test is a useful test for early diagnosis of post-ERCP pancreatitis. A negative urinary dipstick test at 3 hours after the procedure rules out post-ERCP pancreatitis with a high probability and allows of early discharge plan.

Point-of-care urine trypsinogen-2 test for diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess a point-of-care urine trypsinogen-2 (UT) test for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. METHODS: This was a prospective study of patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain suggestive of acute pancreatitis. A 3-minute point-of-care UT test (Actim Pancreatitis; Medix Biochemica, Kauniainen, Finland) was compared with final diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, which was based on suggestive clinical features, serum lipase and/or amylase levels and imaging. RESULTS: Of 124 patients included in this study, 69 patients had final diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The sensitivity and specificity of UT were, respectively, 73.9% (95% CI 61.9% to 83.8%) and 94.6% (95% CI 84.9% to 98.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The point-of-care UT test for acute pancreatitis had good sensitivity and specificity, and can be used reliably at the bedside to make a positive diagnosis.