Comparing acid steatocrit and faecal elastase estimations for use in M-ANNHEIM staging for pancreatitis

Table 1 Demographic and clinical features of patients identified with pancreatitis based on imaging criteria

	AP (n = 13)	RAP (n = 65)	CP (n = 116)	P value
Age (yr) (mean ± SD)	29.8 ± 11.6	29.0 ± 11.5	33.3 ± 14.2	0.10
Male: female	12 : 1	57 : 8	96 : 20	0.53
Alcoholic pancreatitis	2 (15.4)	19 (29.2)	28 (24.1)	0.10
(≥ 50 g/d)
Idiopathic pancreatitis	11 (84.6)	46 (70.8)	88 (75.9)	0.52
Duration of symptoms (in months) [median (interquartile range)]	0 (0-0.2)	7.0 (3.5-24.0)	24.0 (4.0-48.0)	< 0.001
VAS (mean ± SD)	5.4 ± 2.0	6.4 ± 2.31	5.4 ± 2.5	0.02

A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Table 2 Stool fat in grams/day by acid steatocrit in M-ANNHEIM stages of pancreatitis

M-ANNHEIM stage (n %)	Median (IQ range) of stool fat in g/d
0, 13 (6.7)	6.3 (6.0-6.6)
I, 87 (44.8)	6.3 (5.9-6.4)
II, 89 (45.8)	7.5 (6.4-10.8)
III, 5 (2.5)	15.3 (12.0-15.6)

A statistically significant difference was present between the different M-ANNHEIM stages (P < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). Comparison between any two stages showed a statistically significant difference between stages 0 and II, and stages II and III (P = 0.002, Mann-Whitney U test) and also between stages 0 and III, I and II, I and III (P < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U test). A P value of < 0.008 was considered statistically significant for such comparisons between any two groups after Alpha adjustment.

Table 3 Faecal elastase-1 levels in M-ANNHEIM stages of pancreatitis

M-ANNHEIM stage (n %)	Median (IQ range) of stool fat in g/d
0, 13 (6.7)	289.0 (249.0-383.2)
I, 85 (43.8)	389.1 (263.2-436.1)
II, 75 (38.6)	144.3 (108.9-219.0)
III, 21 (10.8)	87.6 (41.1-119.1)

A statistically significant difference was present between the different M-ANNHEIM stages (P < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). Comparison between stages 0 and II, 0 and III, I and II, and II and III showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001 for all comparisons, Mann-Whitney U test). A P value of < 0.008 was considered statistically significant for such comparisons between any two groups after Alpha adjustment.

Table 4 Comparing the number of patients based on M-ANNHEIM staging by acid steatocrit and faecal elastase-1 estimations n (%)

M-ANNHEIM stages	Acid steatocrit method	FE-1 test
0	13 (06.7)	13 (06.7)
I	87 (44.8)	85 (43.8)
II	89 (45.8)	75 (38.6)
III	05 (2.5)	21 (10.8)

A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A statistically significant difference was present between the number of those assessed by both methods in M-ANNHEIM stages (P < 0.001, Mc Nemar’s test). FE-1: Faecal elastase-1.