Clinical relevance of intracellular cytokines IL-6 and IL-12 in acute pancreatitis, and correlation with APACHE III score.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Here, we measure and correlate clinically the percentages of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) that contain interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12 and compare these with acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE III) scores in 30 patients with AP. Severity of AP is determined according to the Atlanta criteria. Patients with severe AP (n = 15) had significantly higher IL-6 values compared to those with mild AP (n = 15). IL-12 levels correlated well with aetiological factors (alcohol and biliary pathology) in patients with AP. Correlation was seen between IL-6 value and APACHE score in severe AP. A score of 30 points was used as the cut off between mild (<30) and severe (>30) cases, with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 100%. Cut off percentages for IL-6- and IL-12-positive PBMCs were >25% (positive predictive value [PPV]: 100%) and >9% (PPV: 70%), respectively. Based on these results, it would seem logical to use both APACHE III score and IL-6 percentage to assess severity in patients with AP.