LAUSR

Background Identification of patients at risk for persistent organ failure (POF) early in the course of acute pancreatitis (AP) is critical for early intervention. Heparin-binding protein (HBP) levels are closely related to inflammation. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between HBP levels and POF in patients with AP. Methods This observational cohort study analyzed 66 patients with AP and 14 healthy volunteers between June 2019 and December 2019. Baseline characteristics, laboratory data, and severity scores of patients with different degrees of AP were compared. Levels of HBP were measured by ELISA. Serum HBP levels were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves to identify POF in AP. Results Concentrations of serum HBP in healthy volunteers, MAP, MSAP, and SAP groups were 3.9 (range: 3.4–5) ng/ml, 5.2 (3.9–6.8) ng/ml, 5.9 (4.6–7.7) ng/ml, and 11 (8.0–13.8) ng/ml, respectively. The level of HBP in SAP patients was significantly elevated compared to the other groups ( P  < 0.01). HBP levels ≥ 7 ng/ml showed a specificity of 74%, a sensitivity of 90%, and an AUC of 0.82 for predicting POF. Conclusions HBP levels in patients with POF were significantly elevated. HBP is a useful marker for predicting severe AP.