In patients suffering from severe acute pancreatitis, ulinastatin (protease inhibitor) plus glutamine effectively minimized inflammation and facilitated the recovery of immune, metabolic, and liver functions, according to the outcomes of a study published in The American Journal of Translational Research. The study was carried out to investigate the clinical effects of combination of two drugs in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.

Overall, 78 participants were retrospectively recruited and segregated into (I) Control group (35 subjects): Received conventional treatment + ulinastatin, and (II) Research group (43 subjects): Received additional glutamine based on treatment in control group as per the therapeutic regimen. Utilizing enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the levels of inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobins were tested.

An improvement of clinical symptoms was investigated in both groups. With the aid of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, the alteration of participant’s condition prior to and after therapy were assessed. For assessing the alteration of lesions, the Balthazar computed tomography (CT) score was utilized. The amylase and liver function indexes of both arms were estimated.

Compared to the control group, people in the research group reported prompt improvement in bloating and abdominal pain, bowel sound recovery, and first defecation. Following treatment, the  research group exhibited higher levels of immunoglobins (IgG, IgM, and IgA) and reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) in comparison with the control group.

Following treatment, the indexes of liver function and amylase in both the groups dropped, and those in the research group were reduced when compared to the control group.  Thus, ulinastatin in combination with glutamine has good clinical efficacy and high clinical application value for the management of severe acute pancreatitis.