Interleukin-12 as a predictor of outcome in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the role of serum Interleukin-12 level as early marker of severity of the SAP and correlation between IL12, SIRS score, APACHE II and Ranson score in prediction of illness severity as well as of outcome of SAP. METHODOLOGY: We evaluated a total of 234 patients with first onset of SAP, appears in last 24 hours, admitted in surgical Intensive care unit (ICU). Severe Acute Pancreatitis was diagnosed with an APACHE II score of 8 or higher, and/or a Ranson score of 3 or higher, and/or Balthazar scores of 5 or higher. Serum IL-12 concentrations were measured with a commercially aviable IL-12 kit, on admission and days 3, 7, and 14. RESULTS: IL-12 concentration was significantly higher at 24h compared with IL-12 levels at admission (P = 0.010) and after 72h (P = 0.005). IL-12 concentrations significantly correlated with IL-6 concentrations (r = 0.209, P < 0.001), IL-8 concentrations (r = 0.527, P < 0.001), IL-10 concentrations (r = 0.552, P < 0.001), interpheron-gamma (r = 0.740, P < 0.001), TNF-alpha (r = 0.088, P < 0.05), C-reactive protein (r = -0.097, P < 0.001), in-hospital death (r = -0.171, P < 0.001), APACHE II score (r = 0.140, P < 0.001), and Ranson score (r = -0.319, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The serum values of the IL-12 can be used as an early marker of severity and course of SAP.