Impact of Proteolytic Enzyme Fortified Protein Supplement in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis.

Maldigestion due to pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) and food avoidance (because by pain) are two physical causes of malnutrition1. Delayed gastric emptying leads to nausea, vomiting, and poor oral intake due to duodenal stenosis or extrinsic compressions of the stomach or duodenum from pseudocysts1. Chronic pancreatitis can be difficult to manage nutritionally, but there are number of different approaches to help with a customized treatment plan for each patient. Patients require comprehensive nutrition care due to the possible combination of malnutrition and insufficient calorie intake. Estimated nutritional requirements are 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg protein and 25 to 35 kcal/kg energy12-14. The use of estimated weight-based nutritional requirements raises concerns because it does not account for malabsorption. It is unclear from the scant studies in this area whether the nutritional deficiency results from higher energy expenditure, impaired nutrient absorption, or a combination of the two15.

According to international guidelines, all patients should have a screening for malnutrition within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital, and those who are at risk ought to receive appropriate nutritional therapies16,17. The ongoing disease process in CP increases the requirement for nutrition. Most CP patients can be treated with regular diet combined with exogenous pancreatic enzyme supplements. 10% to 15% of patients usually need oral nutrition supplements (this can be higher in clinical practice), and 5% of patients need tube feeding.

Oral dietary supplements are widely accessible and are chosen based on the specific requirements of each patient. It has been proposed that people with chronic pancreatitis benefit from the use of oral elemental supplements. Oral elemental supplements have been linked to improvements in nutrition indices and a significant decrease in pain levels18,19. Ito et al. showed that two patients with calcified chronic pancreatitis experienced significant pain reduction when they consumed an elemental diet orally without the need for tube feeding20. In addition, Shea et al. examined the benefits of an oral peptide-based diet containing medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) on eight individuals with chronic pancreatitis, demonstrating improvements in pain management21.

The current investigator initiated study, we hypothesize that pre-digested proteins could improve the intestinal absorption. With this premise, we aim to investigate the role of proteolytic enzyme fortified protein supplementation on the nutritional status of patients with chronic pancreatitis.