The MAP-1 study is designed to validate microRNA and/or pancreatic digestive enzyme biomarkers for the detection and severity assessment of drug-associated AP, for application to the assessment of adverse reactions to drugs in development or drugs already developed for other indications. The study will also assess the clinical utility of these biomarkers in AP from other causes, but is not designed to determine whether the biomarkers could be used in place of amylase and/or lipase in the standard clinical diagnosis of AP or to distinguish between the many differential diagnoses of AP. Selection is in progress of the microRNAs and pancreatic digestive enzyme biomarkers to be validated in this study, this selection being made from prospectively biobank samples obtained in a separate observational study that has separate ethical approval.~The pre-selected microRNAs and pancreatic digestive enzymes will be measured in the blood and urine of patients on admission to hospital with drug-associated acute pancreatitis (Group 1, 75 participants in receipt of one or more drugs on a defined list of drugs associated with acute pancreatitis) or other cause acute pancreatitis (Group 2, 250 participants not in receipt of any of the defined drugs). The same biomarkers will also be measured in blood and urine samples from contrast groups of patients with chronic pancreatitis (Group 3, 25 participants), pancreas cancer (Group 4, 25 participants), type I or II diabetes mellitus (Group 5, 25 participants) and healthy volunteers (Group 6, 100 participants). All participants will be at least 18 years old. MicroRNAs will be measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and pancreatic enzymes by mass spectrometry.
Prospective, multi-national, multi-centre observational diagnostic study of novel microRNA and protein biomarkers in peripheral blood and/or urine to detect and predict the severity of drug-associated acute pancreatitis (AP), with comparison of the same biomarkers in patients with acute pancreatitis from other causes, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diabetes mellitus and healthy volunteers.