Published online Jun 28, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i24.2680
Peer-review started: January 15, 2022
First decision: April 12, 2022
Revised: April 17, 2022
Accepted: May 27, 2022
Article in press: May 27, 2022
Published online: June 28, 2022
Processing time: 159 Days and 23.6 Hours
Celiac disease (CD) is well recognized as a systemic, chronic autoimmune disease mainly characterized by gluten-sensitive enteropathy in genetically predisposed individuals but with various extraintestinal features. One of the affected organs in CD is the pancreas, consisting of both endocrine and exocrine alterations. Over the last decades there has been increasing interest in the pancreatic changes in CD, and this has been reflected by a great number of publications looking at this extraintestinal involvement during the course of CD. While pancreatic endocrine changes in CD, focusing on type 1 diabetes mellitus, are well documented in the literature, the relationship with the exocrine pancreas has been less studied. This review summarizes currently available evidence with regard to pancreatic exocrine alterations in CD, focusing on risk of pancreatitis in CD patients, association with autoimmune pancreatitis, prevalence and outcomes of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in newly diagnosed and gluten-free diet treated CD patients, and the link with cystic fibrosis. In addition, we discuss mechanisms behind the associated pancreatic exocrine impairment in CD and highlight the recommendations for clinical practice.
Core Tip: Celiac disease (CD) is currently regarded as a systemic, chronic, immune-mediated disease triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. In the last decade there has been an increasing number of publications on extraintestinal involvement during the course of CD, some of which have assessed the pancreatic changes associated with this disease. This review summarizes currently available data with respect to exocrine pancreatic changes in CD, focusing on practices for clinicians.