[Clinical trial on pancreatic duct stones caused by chronic pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the possible mechanism for chronic pancreatitis causing pancreatic duct stones. METHODS: A total of 172 patients with chronic pancreatitis (n=67), pancreatic duct stones (n=62), and pancreatic injury (n=43), admitted to from August 2000 to October 2008, preoperatively diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograpby(ERCP) or computed tomography(CT), and intraoperatively confirmed by exploration and biopsy, were divided into 3 groups. Pancreatic fluid was drawn to test the concentrations of pancreatic stone protein (PSP), lactoferrin (LF) and Ca2+. RESULTS: The chronic pancreatitis (the CP group) presented hard consistency, shrinkage and nodular fibrosis of the pancreas; besides the above symptoms, the pancreatic duct stones (the PS group) presented dilatation of the pancreatic ductal system with various stones; pancreatic injury (the PI group) presented broken pancreas of different grades with fluid or blood. Compared with that of the PI group, PSP concentration of both the PS group and the CP group was elevated (P<0.05), and was more apparent in the CP group. Concentrations of LF and Ca2+ were also elevated (P<0.05), which were more obvious in the PS group. CONCLUSION: Decreased concentrations of PSP and increased concentrations of LF and Ca2+ may play very important roles in chronic pancreatitis causing pancreatic duct stones.