[Acute renal failure profile and prognostic value in severe acute pancreatitis]

The role of Interleukin-22 in severe acute pancreatitis

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) begins with premature activation of enzymes, promoted by the immune system, triggering a potential systemic inflammatory response that leads to organ failure with increased mortality and a bleak prognosis. Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a cytokine that may have a significant role in SAP. IL-22, a member of the IL-10 cytokine family, has garnered growing interest owing to its potential tissue-protective properties. Recently, emerging research has revealed its specific effects on pancreatic diseases, particularly SAP. This paper provides a review of the latest knowledge on the role of IL-22 and its viability as a therapeutic target in SAP.

Serum Cys C predicts acute kidney injury in patients with acute pancreatitis: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

We investigated the value of the serum cystatin C level as a potential predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively examined patients diagnosed with AP between January 2013 and December 2018. Patients were categorized into two groups based on their serum cystatin C levels after admission: the normal (n-Cys C group) and high serum cystatin C levels groups (h-Cys C group). Patients in the h-Cys C group demonstrated serum cystatin C levels ≥1.05 mg/L. Demographic parameters, laboratory data, and AP severity were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy of serum cystatin C in predicting persistent AKI.

RESULTS

A total of 379 patients with AP were enrolled: 319 in the n-Cys C group and 60 in the h-Cys C group. Serum cystatin C levels were significantly higher in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) compared to moderate acute pancreatitis (MAP) (P< 0.05). The h-Cys C group had a higher BISAP score (P < 0.001). Incidences of organ failure and SAP were significantly higher in the h-Cys C group (P < 0.05). ROC analysis indicated that a serum cystatin C cutoff point of 1.055 mg/L optimally predicted persistent AKI (AUC = 0.711). For internal validation, we selected 545 AP patients, treated at our center from 2019 to 2022, including 54 AKI patients. ROC analysis in this validation group yielded a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90.9% (AUC = 0.916, 95% CI: 0.894-0.937).

CONCLUSION

Elevated serum cystatin C levels are sensitive indicators of adverse AKI prognosis in AP patients. The cystatin C level at admission can reflect a patient's initial renal function status.

Inhibition of Ferroptosis Attenuates Acute Kidney Injury in Rats with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Ferroptosis is involved in a range of diseases. However, the role of ferroptosis in SAP-induced AKI has yet to be elucidated.

AIMS

We aimed to investigate whether ferroptosis is induced in the kidney after SAP and whether inhibition of ferroptosis ameliorates AKI in a rat model of SAP.

METHODS

Sodium taurocholate (5%) was retrogradely perfused into the biliopancreatic duct to establish a model of SAP with AKI in rats. The levels of serum amylase, lipase, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in rats were measured. We also determined the biochemical and morphological changes associated with ferroptosis in renal tissue, including iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation assays, and mitochondrial shrinkage. H&E staining was used to assess pancreatic and renal histological changes. Western blot analysis, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins and genes.

RESULTS

SAP-induced AKI was followed by iron accumulation, increased lipid peroxidation, and upregulation of ferroptosis-related proteins and genes. Twenty-four hours after SAP, TEM confirmed the presence of typical shrunken mitochondria. Furthermore, treatment with liproxstatin-1 lowered the levels of serum amylase, TNF-α, IL-6, Cr and BUN, decreased kidney lipid peroxidation and alleviated pancreatic and renal histopathology injury in SAP rats.

CONCLUSION

Our findings are the first to demonstrate the involvement of ferroptosis in SAP-associated renal damage and present ferroptosis as a therapeutic target for effective treatment of SAP-induced AKI.

Evaluation of Serum Cystatin C as an Early Biomarker of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory process of pancreas with varying degree of involvement of regional tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of serum cystatin C (Cys-C) for the early and accurate diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients of AP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a prospective study conducted in 1 year. Total of 215 cases of AP fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis, neoplasm, chronic liver disease, and chronic kidney disease were excluded from the study. Diagnosis of AP was based on the Atlanta classification 2012. All patients were classified into a non-AKI group (n = 152) and an AKI group (n = 38) according to the dynamic changes in serum creatinine levels. Serum Cys-C was measured by particle-enhanced immune nephelometric assay.

RESULTS

By univariate logistic regression analysis, body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.23-1.68; p < 0.001), blood urea (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.23; p < 0.001), Cys-C (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07; p < 0.05), serum calcium (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41-0.86; p < 0.05), and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 1.0-1.001; p < 0.05) were the significant indicators for AKI in patients with AP. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, urinary albumin and Cys-C were independent and significant indicators of AKI in patients with AP (OR = 1.026, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07; p < 0.01). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of serum Cys-C, for AKI in patient with AP could be identified with a sensitivity of 92.06% at specificity of 96.0% [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98] by baseline serum Cys-C (cutoff value = >32.32 mg/L).

CONCLUSION

Increase of baseline serum Cys-C was associated with AKI in patients with AP.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Patel ML, Shyam R, Bharti H, Sachan R, Gupta KK, Parihar A. Evaluation of Serum Cystatin C as an Early Biomarker of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(9):777-782.

Natural history and profile of selective cytokines in patients of acute pancreatitis with acute kidney injury

OBJECTIVES

To study the natural course of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) with acute kidney injury (AKI) and their cytokine profile.

METHODS

Natural course of patients with AP and AKI was studied in 97 individuals. Levels of TNFα, IL-6, IL-10, IL-8 and IL-1β were measured at presentation and at 72 h in patients who developed AKI.

RESULTS

Amongst the entire cohort, 16.4% patients developed AKI (persistent AKI - 11 patients, transient AKI - 5 patients). Mortality rate was 25% amongst patients with AKI. Levels of IL-6 (p = 0.035) and IL-8 (p = 0.002) were found to be significantly higher in the AKI group. On multivariate analysis, IL-8 levels at baseline were found to be an independent predictor of AKI. AKI group had significant rise of TNF-α (P < 0.001), IL-6 (P < 0.001) and IL- 1β (P < 0.001) on day 3 whereas persistent-AKI group had significant rise of TNF-α (p = 0.031), IL-6 (p = 0.001) and IL-1β on day 3 and significant decline of IL-10 (p = 0.015). Using a cut-off of 105 pg/ml, IL-8 levels at baseline could predict AKI with a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 59.2%, with area under the curve being 0.744 (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

AP patients developing AKI have poor prognosis. IL-8 levels can predict AKI in patients with AP.

Baseline Serum Cystatin C Is a Potential Predictor for Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

Aims

The study is aimed at studying the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and exploring the potential predictor for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Methods

A retrospective study adopting a stratified cohort sampling design was performed in a cohort of patients (n = 237) diagnosed with acute pancreatitis without any renal injury. The following information including age, gender, serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, serum cystatin C, fasting serum glucose, serum amylase, serum lipase, serum choline esterase, total protein, albumin, globulin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total bile acids, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase were collected from each patient when they were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Student t-test was conducted to figure out the difference between patients with and without AKI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for investigating the predictors for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Results

18 (7.6%) patients in total had developed AKI among the study group. Compared with patients without AKI (1.01 ± 0.26 mg/L), the level of baseline serum cystatin C (CYS-C) was significantly higher in patients with AKI (3.64 ± 2.17 mg/L, P < 0.001). Baseline serum CYS-C (OR = 203.594, P < 0.001) was the independent and significant predictor for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis could be identified with a sensitivity of 88.9% at specificity of 100% (AUC = 0.948, 95% CI 0.879–1.000) by baseline serum CYS-C (cut-off value = 1.865 mg/L).

Conclusions

Baseline serum CYS-C shall be adopted to predict the potential risk of AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Effect of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction for treatment of acute kidney injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis

Background

The traditional Chinese formula Da-Cheng-Qi-decoction (DCQD) has been used to treat acute pancreatitis for decades. DCQD could ameliorate the disease severity and the complications of organ injuries, including those of the liver and lungs. However, the pharmacological effects in the kidney, a target organ, are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the herbal tissue pharmacology of DCQD for acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods

Rats were randomly divided into the sham-operation group (SG), the model group (MG) and the low-, medium- and high-dose treatment groups (LDG, MDG, and HDG, respectively). Sodium taurocholate (3.5%) was retrogradely perfused into the biliopancreatic duct to establish the model of SAP in rats. Different doses of DCQD were administered to the treatment groups 2 h after the induction of SAP. The major components of DCQD in kidney tissues were detected by HPLC–MS/MS. Inflammatory mediators in the kidney tissues, as well as serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and pathologic scores, were also evaluated.

Results

Ten components of DCQD were detected in the kidneys of the treatment groups, and their concentrations increased dose-dependently. Compared with the SG, the levels of inflammatory mediators, Scr, BUN and pathological scores in the MG were obviously increased (p < 0.05). The high dose of DCQD showed a maximal effect in downregulating the pro-inflammatory mediators interleukin-6 (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), upregulating anti-inflammatory mediators IL-4 and IL-10 in the kidney and alleviating the pathological damages. DCQD decreased the pancreas and kidney pathological scores of rats with SAP, especially in the HDG (p < 0.05). Compared with the MG, the level of Scr in the HDG was significantly decreased (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

DCQD ameliorated AKI in rats with SAP via regulating the inflammatory response, which might be closely related to the distribution of its components in the kidney.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13020-018-0195-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Clinical outcomes of isolated renal failure compared to other forms of organ failure in patients with severe acute pancreatitis

AIM

To assess differences in clinical outcomes of isolated renal failure (RF) compared to other forms of organ failure (OF) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS

Using a prospectively maintained database of patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to a tertiary medical center between 2003 and 2016, those with evidence of persistent OF were classified to renal, respiratory, cardiovascular, or multi-organ (2 or more organs). Data regarding demographics, comorbidities, etiology of acute pancreatitis, and clinical outcomes were prospectively recorded. Differences in clinical outcomes after development of isolated RF in comparison to other forms of OF were determined using independent t and Mann-Whitney U tests for continues variables, and χ² test for discrete variables.

RESULTS

Among 500 patients with acute pancreatitis, 111 patients developed persistent OF: mean age was 54 years, and 75 (67.6%) were male. Forty-three patients had isolated OF: 17 (15.3%) renal, 25 (21.6%) respiratory, and 1 (0.9%) patient with cardiovascular failure. No differences in demographics, etiology of acute pancreatitis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome scores, or development of pancreatic necrosis were seen between patients with isolated RF vs isolated respiratory failure. Patients with isolated RF were less likely to require nutritional support (76.5% vs 96%, P = 0.001), ICU admission (58.8% vs 100%, P = 0.001), and had shorter mean ICU stay (2.4 d vs 15.7 d, P < 0.001), compared to isolated respiratory failure. None of the patients with isolated RF or isolated respiratory failure died.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with SAP per the Revised Atlanta Classification, approximately 15% develop isolated RF. This subgroup seems to have a less protracted clinical course compared to other forms of OF. Isolated RF might be weighed less than isolated respiratory failure in risk predictive modeling of acute pancreatitis.

Paeoniflorin ameliorates acute necrotizing pancreatitis and pancreatitis‑induced acute renal injury

Acute renal injury caused by acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) is a common complication that is associated with a high rate of mortality. Paeoniflorin is the active ingredient of paeonia radix and exhibits a number of pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, analgesic and immunomodulatory effects. The present study detected the potential treatment effects of paeoniflorin on acute renal injury induced by ANP in a rat model. The optimal dose of paeoniflorin for preventing acute renal injury induced by ANP was determined. Then, the possible protective mechanism of paeoniflorin was investigated. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Renal inflammation and apoptosis were measured by immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. The expression of nitric oxide in kidney tissues was also evaluated. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by western blotting. The results shown that paeoniflorin may ameliorate acute renal injury following ANP in rats by inhibiting inflammatory responses and renal cell apoptosis. These effects may be associated with the p38MAPK and nuclear factor-κB signal pathway.

The Role of Eugenol in the Prevention of Acute Pancreatitis-Induced Acute Kidney Injury: Experimental Study

Aim. Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory intra-abdominal disease, which takes a severe form in 15–20% of patients and can result in high mortality especially when complicated by acute renal failure. The aim of this study is to assess the possible reduction in the extent of acute kidney injury after administration of eugenol in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis. Materials and Methods. 106 male Wistar rats weighing 220–350 g were divided into 3 groups: (1) Sham, with sham surgery; (2) Control, with induction of acute pancreatitis, through ligation of the biliopancreatic duct; and (3) Eugenol, with induction of acute pancreatitis and eugenol administration at a dose of 15 mg/kg. Serum urea and creatinine, histopathological changes, TNF-α, IL-6, and MPO activity in the kidneys were evaluated at predetermined time intervals. Results. The group that was administered eugenol showed milder histopathological changes than the Control group, TNF-α activity was milder in the Eugenol group, and there was no difference in activity for MPO and IL-6. Serum urea and creatinine levels were lower in the Eugenol group than in the Control group. Conclusions. Eugenol administration was protective for the kidneys in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis in rats.

Correlation analysis of computed tomography imaging score with the presence of acute kidney injury in severe acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study is to investigate the CT imaging findings of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) complicated with acute kidney injury (AKI) and evaluate the correlation between the CT imaging score and the presence of AKI in SAP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Contrast-enhanced CT scanning was performed for all 145 patients. Related CT indices such as Balthazar CT grading, CTSI and EPIC scores were calculated. Clinical data, including APACHE II, Ranson scores, serum creatinine levels, urine output, and mortality, were then collected and compared with CT indices.

RESULTS

The EPIC score showed a larger area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than either of the CTSI or Balthazar score. However, the change of APACHE II score, but not EPIC score, was significantly associated with the prognosis of AKI and eventual clinical outcome. In addition, the CT manifestation of fluid encapsulation was a good predictor of recovery from AKI.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the CT indices, the EPIC score, which possessed a good correlation with both APACHE II and Ranson scores, provided a better prediction of AKI in SAP patients than CTSI and Balthazar scores. Encapsulation of inflammatory exudates might be used in the future as imaging-based prognostic criteria of recovering from AKI in patients with SAP.

Caspase-1 inhibition alleviates acute renal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis

AIM: To assess the effect of inhibition of caspase-1 on acute renal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS: Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: healthy controls (HC, n = 6), SAP rats treated with saline (SAP-S, n = 18), or SAP rats treated with a caspase-1/interleukin (IL)-1β-converting-enzyme (ICE) inhibitor (SAP-I-ICE, n = 18). SAP was induced by retrograde infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate into the bile-pancreatic duct. HC rats were subjected to identical treatment and surgical procedures without sodium taurocholate. Rats received an intraperitoneal injection of isotonic saline (SAP-S) or the inhibitor (SAP-ICE-I) at 2 and 12 h after induction of acute pancreatitis. Surviving rats were sacrificed at different time points after SAP induction; all samples were obtained and stored for subsequent analyses. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were measured using automatic methods, and serum IL-1β concentrations were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Intrarenal expression of IL-1β, IL-18 and caspase-1 mRNAs was detected by RT-PCR. IL-1β protein expression and the pathologic changes in kidney tissues were observed by microscopy after immunohistochemical or hematoxylin and eosin staining, respectively.

RESULTS: The serum levels of BUN and Cr in the SAP-S group were 12.48 ± 2.30 mmol/L and 82.83 ± 13.89 μmol/L at 6 h, 23.53 ± 2.58 mmol/L and 123.67 ± 17.67 μmol/L at 12 h, and 23.60 ± 3.33 mmol/L and 125.33 ± 21.09 μmol/L at 18 h, respectively. All were significantly increased compared to HC rats (P < 0.01 for all). Levels in SAP-ICE-I rats were significantly decreased compared to SAP-S rats both at 12 and 18 h (P < 0.01 for all). Serum IL-1β levels in the SAP-S group were 276.77 ± 44.92 pg/mL at 6 h, 308.99 ± 34.95 pg/mL at 12 h, and 311.60 ± 46.51 pg/mL at 18 h; all significantly higher than those in the HC and SAP-ICE-I groups (P < 0.01 for all). Intrarenal expression of IL-1β mRNA was weak in HC rats, but increased significantly in SAP-S rats (P < 0.01). ICE inhibition significantly decreased the expression of IL-1β and IL-18 mRNAs (P < 0.05 for all vs SAP-S), whereas caspase-1 mRNA expression was not significantly different. Weak IL-1β immunostaining was observed in HC animals, and marked staining was found in the SAP-S group mainly in renal tubular epithelial cells. IL-1β immunostaining was significantly descended in SAP-ICE-I rats compared to SAP-S rats (P < 0.05). Caspase-1 inhibition had no effect on the severity of kidney tissue destruction.

CONCLUSION: The expression of caspase-1-activated cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 plays a pivotal role in acute renal injury in rats with experimental SAP. Caspase-1 inhibition improves renal function effectively.

Procalcitonin levels predict acute kidney injury and prognosis in acute pancreatitis: a prospective study

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been proposed as a leading cause of mortality for acute pancreatitis (AP) patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). This study investigated the predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT) for AKI development and relevant prognosis in patients with AP, and compared PCT’s predictive power with that of other inflammation-related variables.

Methods

Between January 2011 and March 2013, we enrolled 305 cases with acute pancreatitis admitted to ICU. Serum levels of PCT, serum amyloid A (SAA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C reactive protein (CRP) were determined on admission. Serum PCT was tested in patients who developed AKI on the day of AKI occurrence and on either day 28 after occurrence (for survivors) or on the day of death (for those who died within 28 days).

Results

Serum PCT levels were 100-fold higher in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group on the day of ICU admission (p<0.05). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PCT for predicting AKI was 0.986, which was superior to SAA, CRP, and IL-6 (p<0.05). ROC analysis revealed all variables tested had lower predictive performance for AKI prognosis. The average serum PCT level on day 28 (2.67 (0.89, 7.99) ng/ml) was significantly (p<0.0001) lower than on the day of AKI occurrence (43.71 (19.24,65.69) ng/ml) in survivors, but the serum PCT level on death (63.73 (34.22,94.30) ng/ml) was higher than on the day of AKI occurrence (37.55 (18.70,74.12) ng/ml) in non-survivors, although there was no significant difference between the two days in the latter group (p = 0.1365).

Conclusion

Serum PCT is superior to CRP, IL-6, and SAA for predicting the development of AKI in patients with AP, and also can be used for dynamic evaluation of AKI prognosis.

Audit of patients with severe acute pancreatitis admitted to an intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. We undertook a study of patients with SAP admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary referral hospital.

METHODS

Between 2002 and 2007, 50 patients with SAP were admitted in our intensive care unit (ICU). Data were collected from their medical records and their clinical profile, course and outcome were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into survivor and nonsurvivor groups, and were further classified based on interventions such as percutaneous drainage and surgical necrosectomy.

RESULTS

SAP contributed 5 % of total ICU admissions during the study period. Median age of survivors (n = 20) was 34 against 44 years in nonsurvivors (n = 30). Median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score in nonsurvivors was 16.5 (8-32) vs. 12.5 (5-20) in survivors (p = 0.002). Patients with APACHE II score ≥12 had mortality >80 % compared to 23 % with score <12 (p < 0.001). Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores on admission and on days 3, 7, 14, and 21 were significantly higher in nonsurvivors compared to survivors (p < 0.05). Mean (SD) intraabdominal pressure was 23 (3.37) mmHg in nonsurvivors vs. 19.05 (2.51) in survivors (p < 0.05). Patients with renal failure had significant mortality (p < 0.001). Length of ICU stay, requirement for vasopressor, total parenteral nutrition, and the amount of blood and blood product transfusions differed significantly between patients with and without intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

APACHE II and SOFA scores and other clinical data correlated with outcome in SAP admitted to ICU.

Acute renal failure in severe pancreatitis: A population-based study

INTRODUCTION

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common illness with varied mortality and morbidity. Patients with AP complicated with acute renal failure (ARF) have higher mortality than patients with AP alone. Although ARF has been proposed as a leading mortality cause for AP patients admitted to the ICU, few studies have directly analyzed the relationship between AP and ARF.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study using the population-based database from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). In the period from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005, every patient with AP admitted to the ICU was included and assessed for the presence of ARF and mortality risk.

RESULTS

In year 2005, there were a total of 221,101 admissions to the ICU. There were 1,734 patients with AP, of which 261 (15.05%) patients also had a diagnosis of ARF. Compared to sepsis and other critical illness, patients with AP had a higher risk of having a diagnosis of ARF, and patients with both diagnoses had a higher mortality rate in the same ICU hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

AP is associated with a higher risk of ARF, and, when both conditions exist, a higher risk of mortality is present.