Prognostic value of peripheral blood CD14+HLA-DR+ monocytes in patients with acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterized by a potent pro-inflammatory response and concomitant anti-inflammatory response leading to a state of immunosuppression. Decreased HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen)-DR expression on monocytes is a reliable cellular marker of immune suppression. The main objective of this study was to investigate the clinical value of the percentage of peripheral blood CD14+ HLA-DR+ monocytes (mHLA-DR) for diagnosis and assessment of severity, development of organ failures (OF), local complications (LC), and infected necrosis (IN), and outcome in patients with AP. Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of peripheral blood mHLA-DR at different time points in 82 patients with AP enrolled during the period of 2012-2018 admitted to University Hospital Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. The percentages of peripheral blood mHLA-DR in AP patients were significantly associated with severity, development of LC, OF, IN (measured at admission, on the 48^th hour and on the 5^th day) and with outcome (measured on the 5^th day) of AP. The value of peripheral blood mHLA-DR may be used as a biological marker in the diagnosis and assessment of severity, development of OF, LC, IN and to predict outcome in AP.