Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography and Laboratory Parameters as Non-Invasive Diagnostic Markers of Pancreatic Fibrosis

Abstract

Pancreatic fibrosis (PF) is a part of the pathogenesis in most pancreatic disorders and plays a crucial role in chronic pancreatitis development. The aim of our study was to investigate a relationship between PF grade and signs in resected pancreatic specimens, and the results of both multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) post-processing parameters and fibronectin (FN), hyaluronic acid (HA), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and MMP-9 serum levels. The examination results of 74 patients were analyzed. The unenhanced pancreas density (UPD) value and contrast enhancement ratio (CER) showed statistically significant differences in groups with peri- and intralobular fibrosis grades, an integrative index of fibrosis, inflammation in pancreatic tissue, and pancreatic duct epithelium metaplasia, while the normalized contrast enhancement ratio in the venous phase (NCER VP) significantly differed with the perilobular fibrosis grade, integrative fibrosis index, and inflammation (p < 0.05). The blood FN level showed a weak positive correlation with the intralobular fibrosis grade (rho = 0.32, p = 0.008). The blood level of HA positively correlated with the presence of prominent and enlarged peripheral nerves (rho = 0.28, p = 0.02) and negatively correlated with the unenhanced pancreas density value (rho = −0.42, p = 0.0001). MMP-1 and MMP-9 values’ intergroup analysis and correlation did not show any statistical significance. The UPD value, NCER VP, and CER, as well as blood levels of FN and HA, could be used in non-invasive PF diagnosis.