Arpin contributes to bacterial translocation and development of severe acute pancreatitis

World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr 14;21(14):4293-301. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i14.4293.

Abstract

Aim: To assess the impact of Arpin protein and tight junction (TJ) proteins in the intestinal mucosa on bacterial translocation in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods: Fifty SAP patients were identified as study objects and then classified into two groups according to the presence of bacterial translocation (BT) in the blood [i.e., BT(+) and BT(-)]. Twenty healthy individuals were included in the control group. BT was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction, colonic mucosal tissue was obtained by endoscopy and the expression of TJ proteins and Arpin protein was determined using immunofluorescence and western blotting.

Results: Bacterial DNA was detected in the peripheral blood of 62.0% of patients (31/50) with SAP. The expression of TJ proteins in SAP patients was lower than that in healthy controls. In contrast, Arpin protein expression in SAP patients was higher than in healthy controls (0.38 ± 0.19 vs 0.28 ± 0.16, P < 0.05). Among SAP patients, those positive for BT showed a higher level of claudin-2 expression (0.64 ± 0.27 vs 0.32 ± 0.21, P < 0.05) and a lower level of occludin (OC) (0.61 ± 0.28 vs 0.73 ± 0.32, P < 0.05) and zonula occludens-1 (0.42 ± 0.26 vs 0.58 ± 0.17, P = 0.038) expression in comparison with BT (-) patients. Moreover, the level of Arpin expression in BT (+) patients was higher than in BT (-) patients (0.61 ± 0.28 vs 0.31 ± 0.24, P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Arpin protein affects the expression of tight junction proteins and may have an impact on BT. These results contribute to a better understanding of the factors involved in bacterial translocation during acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: Arpin; Bacterial translocation; Epithelium; Intestinal epithelial barrier; Severe acute pancreatitis; Tight junction proteins.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bacterial Translocation*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Carrier Proteins / analysis*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Colon / chemistry*
  • Colon / microbiology
  • DNA, Bacterial / blood
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / chemistry*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / blood
  • Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / metabolism*
  • Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / microbiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tight Junction Proteins / analysis*
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Tight Junction Proteins
  • arpin protein, human