Clinical Study on Mucopolysaccharide of Duodenal Juice in Chronic Pancreatitis

Abstract

For researching the clinical significancy on mucopolysaccharide of pancreatic juice in chronic pancreatitis, the author determined hexosamine (Hxm) of duodenal juice obtained after pancreozymin and secretin stimulations.
Hxm of pancreatic juice was determined in the fractions collected 20-40 minutes after secretin stimulation. The following results were obtained.
Hxm of pancreatic juice increased in the group of alcoholics except pancreatitis and the chronic pancreatitis group, and particularly it was higher in the group of pancreatitis caused by alcohol than in the group of pancreatitis of other causes.
Among the cases of alcoholic pancreatitis, Hxm showed remarkable increase particularly in the cases of relapsing type.
Mucopolysaccharide which increased in the pancreatic juice was analyzed to find out that it was acid mucopolysaccharides except hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate ABC, and perhaps it appeared to be sulfated glycoproteins.
As Hxm in pancreatic juice increased in the alcoholics group and the alcoholic pancreatitis group, it was recognized intake of alcohol for a long time is an important factor for increase of mucopolysaccharide in pancreatic juice. The fact that remarkable increase of Hxm was particularly observed in the relapsing type of alcoholic pancreatitis suggests an important role of mucopolysaccharide in pancreatic juice in recurrent attacks of pancreatitis pathophysiologically, and it is an interesting finding as to formation of pancreatic calcification.