First 24 hours of acute pancreatitis. A biochemical and endocrine evaluation of initial versus repeated attacks.

Differences in metabolic homeostasis in 12 patients with initial vs. eight patients with repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis have been compared during the acute phase of the disease. As a group, subjects with a previous history of pancreatitis had significantly lower glucagon concentrations (P less than 0.002) for the over all 24-hour study period. Conversely, the serum concentrations of blood sugar, insulin, growth hormone, gastrin, cortisol, nonesterified fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol failed to distinguish between the two patient groups. Likewise, immunoreactive plasma parathyroid hormone and calcitonin levels were comparable in both patient populations. Of the measurements considered, it would appear therefore that plasma immunoreactive glucagon is the best indicator of previous pancreatic inflammation. Evaluation of parenchymal integrity during an episode of acute pancreatitis would be of prognostic and therapeutic value in this disease.