The role of neopterine in the diagnosis of patients with acute pancreatitis on admission to the emergency department

Purpose: There are difficulties observed in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in emergency departments due to its different clinical properties and the insufficiencies in the methods of diagnosis. Since there is no specific biochemical indicator, the diagnosis is made usually late or with difficulty. Neopterine is an enzyme secreted from the macrophages and is an indicator of cellular immunity activation. The aim of this study was to determine the role of neopterine in the early diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Material and Methods: 39 patients, who had been hospitalized with the complaints of abdominal pain and diagnosed as acute pancreatitis via laboratory and screening methods, and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Amylase, lipase, cholesterol and neopterine were measured in the patients' samples. The diagnoses were confirmed with abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography. Results: The neopterine values in patients with acute pancreatitis were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion: Neopterine is an indicator which is elevated in certain inflammatory and autoimmune situations. We believe that it is important in the early diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Further experimental and clinical studies should be conducted on the subject.