Ulinastatin combined with glutamine improves liver function and inflammatory response in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE To explore whether ulinastatin combined with glutamine (Gln) can improve the liver function and inflammation in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS Altogether 78 patients with SAP treated in Tangshan Workers' Hospital were retrospectively enrolled and divided into the control group (CG, n=35, conventional treatment plus ulinastatin) and the research group (RG, n=43, additional Gln on the basis of treatment in the CG) according to the treatment regimen. The improvement of clinical symptoms after treatment was observed in both groups. The levels of IgM, IgA and IgG were tested by ELISA. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores were utilized to evaluate the changes of the patients' condition before and after treatment, and the Balthazar CT score was used to assess the changes of the lesions. The changes of inflammatory cytokines were determined via Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The liver function and amylase indexes of both groups were measured. RESULTS Patients in the RG experienced faster improvement in bloating and abdominal pain, first defecation, and bowel sound recovery than the CG (all P<0.05). After treatment, IgM, IgA and IgG in the RG were higher than those in the CG (all P<0.05). Besides, the RG exhibited markedly lower interleukin-6 (IL6), IL, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels than the CG after treatment (all P<0.05). After treatment, the indexes of liver function and amylase in both groups were decreased, and those in the RG were lower than those in the CG (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION Ulinastatin in combination with glutamine is effective in treating severe pancreatitis, which efficiently reduces inflammation in patients and facilitates the recovery of immune, metabolic, and liver functions, and therefore it has a high clinical application value.