Nutritional status in patients with chronic pancreatitis

Abstract

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas, accompanied by damage to the functioning parenchyma and ducts to develop irreversible structural changes (fibrosis, calcification) and irreparable loss of the endocrine and exocrine functions of this organ. Maldigestion is a typical outcome of CP of any etiology with a long-term history. Fat malabsorption is considered as a basis for malnutrition in patients with CP. The severity of malnutrition in patients with CP correlates with three major pathogenetic factors: primary nutrient deficiency, pancreatic maldigestion and secondary malabsorption syndrome (nutrient loss), hypermetabolism that is caused by an inflammatory process in the pancreas and that determines the severity of the disease. Malnutrition in patients with CP is not just a complication of this disease, but has an important impact on its course. Patients with severe malnutrition are noted to have the significantly lower activity of pancreatic enzymes in the duodenal contents, feces, and blood, which is correlated with the smaller blood amount of total protein and albumin.

Keywords

• chronic pancreatitis
• pancreatic exocrine insufficiency
• malnutrition
• maldigestion
• malabsorption