Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
To evaluate the usefulness of the ELST‐blue score to explore its potential application in identifying high‐risk groups for early chronic pancreatitis (ECP) through reflecting on pancreatic elasticity and the reduction of pancreatic function, and we tried to demonstrate whether the ELST‐blue score was significantly associated with apolipoprotein A2 (apoA2) isoforms in patients with ECP.
Methods
Forty‐four patients with pancreatic enzyme abnormalities underwent endosonography. We divided two groups, one group was patients with ECP (
n
= 16) and the other group was patients with non‐ECP (
n
= 28). ELST‐blue was defined using the open‐source software ‘Image J’. The concentration of apoA2 isoforms was measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit.
Results
Epigastric pain tended to be more severe in patients with ECP than in those without ECP. There was a significant difference in the diameter of the main pancreatic duct of more than 2 mm as well as in stranding or hyperechoic foci and lobularity between patients with ECP and non‐ECP. The ELST‐blue score was significantly higher in patients with ECP than in non‐ECP (
p
= 0.003). Although an intense negative correlation was determined between ELST‐blue score and the apoA2‐i Index in patients with ECP (r = ‐0.704,
p
= 0.002), there was no significant relationship between ELST‐blue score and apoA2‐I Index in patients with non‐ECP.
Conclusions
Patients with ECP accompanied by a high score of ELST‐blue have to be followed up carefully.