INCREASED EXPRESSION OF ACIDIC AND BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTORS INCHRONIC-PANCREATITIS

Acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and basic fibroblast growth fac tor (bFGF) belong to a family of mitogenic polypeptides that are invol ved in cellular proliferation and differentiation. In this study we in vestigated the potential role of aFGF and bFGF in chronic pancreatitis (CP), a fibrotic condition associated with acinar cell dedifferentiat ion and atrophy, and fibroblastic proliferation. By immunohistochemist ry, aFGF and bFGF were abundant in pancreatic tissues from CP patients . Immunoblotting with the same highly specific monoclonal antibodies d emonstrated a marked increase in aFGF and bFGF in pancreatic homogenat es from CP patients by comparison with the normal pancreas. Northern b lot analysis indicated that, by comparison with normal controls, 16 of 21 CP tissues exhibited a 14-fold increase in aFGF mRNA levels, and 1 9 of 21 CP tissues exhibited a 15-fold increase in bFGF mRNA levels. I n situ hybridization confirmed that this overexpression occurred in du ctal and acinar cells, and indicated that both mRNA moieties colocaliz ed with their respective proteins. These findings suggest that aFGF an d bFGF may either be involved in the pathobiological mechanisms that o ccur in CP, or that their overexpression may be the consequence of oth er perturbations that occur in this disorder.