The serum NF-κB and adiponectin levels in patients with acute pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate whether serum nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and adiponectin levels can provide insight into disease progression and serve as potential biomarkers for predicting disease severity in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).
METHODS: A total of 49 patients diagnosed with AP and admitted to the Emergency Department of Gaziosmanpaþa Training and Research Hospital were enrolled. An age-matched control group of 49 healthy individuals without AP was also included. Serum levels of NF-κB and adiponectin were measured and compared between groups.
RESULTS: Patients with AP exhibited significantly elevated serum NF-κB levels and reduced adiponectin levels compared to the control group (both p<0.001). A strong negative correlation was observed between adiponectin and NF-κB levels in the AP group (r=–0.865, p<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined the optimal cut-off value for adiponectin as 3.4, with a sensitivity and specificity of 1.000. The optimal cut-off for NF-κB was 1.8, with a sensitivity of 1.000 and specificity of 0.96.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that serum NF-κB and adiponectin levels may be valuable biomarkers for assessing disease severity in AP. Their combined use or integration with existing scoring systems could enhance prognostic accuracy. Further experimental and clinical studies are necessary to evaluate the therapeutic potential of adiponectin and to validate these biomarkers for routine clinical use.