Serum lipid and fatty acid profiles are highly changed in patients with alcohol induced acute pancreatitis.

Background/aims: Hyperlipidemia is one known etiology of acute pancreatitis. Alcohol use is known to induce changes in lipid metabolism and might alter the serum lipid and fatty acid profile. We hypothesized that these changes may explain individual susceptibility of developing acute pancreatitis. We compared lipid and fatty acid profiles of patients with acute alcoholic pancreatitis and alcoholic controls.
Methods: 19 patients with their first alcoholic pancreatitis and 20 controls were included. Late follow-up samples were obtained from 16 patients. Serum lipids were analyzed enzymatically and the fatty acid profile using gas chromatography.
Results: The concentrations of serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were markedly lower in patients than in controls during the acute disease but normalized after follow-up. Patients had statistically significantly lower fatty acid proportions of saturated C14:0, polyunsaturated C18:2, C18:3 and C20:3 of the n-6-series and C18:3 of the n-3-series than controls. In contrast, patients had higher percentages of saturated C16:0 and monounsaturated C18:1n9 fatty acids than controls. Mead acid, C20:3n9, marker of essential fatty acid deficiency, was lower in patients than in controls. C14:0, C20:3n6, C18:3n3 and C20:3n9 remained altered after follow-up.
Conclusion: Serum lipid and fatty acid levels were significantly altered during the acute disease and returned toward normal after 18-24 months, suggesting that the changes are secondary to acute pancreatitis. They are unlikely to be the much sought 'trigger factor' of pancreatic necro-inflammation. However, further studies are warranted to fully establish this point.
(Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.)