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World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Feb 15, 2014; 5(1): 11-17
Published online Feb 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i1.11
Published online Feb 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i1.11
Pathophysiology of autoimmune pancreatitis
Raffaele Pezzilli, Nico Pagano, Department of Digestive Diseases and Internal Medicine, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Author contributions: Pezzilli R and Pagano N acquired, analyzed and interpreted the data in the literature; they drafted the manuscript and approved the version of the paper to be published.
Correspondence to: Raffaele Pezzilli, MD, Department of Digestive Diseases and Internal Medicine, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. raffaele.pezzilli@aosp.bo.it
Telephone: +39-51-6364148 Fax: +39-51-6364148
Received: October 21, 2013
Revised: November 5, 2013
Accepted: November 15, 2013
Published online: February 15, 2014
Processing time: 121 Days and 0.1 Hours
Revised: November 5, 2013
Accepted: November 15, 2013
Published online: February 15, 2014
Processing time: 121 Days and 0.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a recently discovered form of pancreatitis and represents one of the diseases of the pancreas which can be cured and healed medically. Two types of AIP have been recognized: type 1 (usually associated with other extrapancreatic disorders) and type 2. The pancreas of a patient with AIP is often infiltrated by various types of immune cells, including cluster of differentiation 4-positive T cells and granulocytes in type 2 AIP or immunoglobulin G4 -producing plasma cells in type 1 AIP. We reviewed the current concepts regarding the pathophysiology of this intriguing disease, focusing on the importance of the humoral and the cellular immune responses.