Lymphocyte subsets and cellular immunity in patients with chronic pancreatitis

Background: An abnormal immune response may play a pathogenetic role in chr onic pancreatitis. However, to date characterization of the systemic immuno logical changes in patients with chronic pancreatitis has not been undertak en. Methods: Lymphocyte phenotypes and proliferation (H-3-thymidine) after stimulation with mitogens and interleukin-2 were studied in peripheral mono nuclear cells from 11 patients with chronic pancreatitis (alcohol-induced n = 6; idiopathic pancreatitis n = 5). The natural killer cell activity was investigated in a Cr-51 release cytotoxicity assay. In vitro cytokine relea se of stimulated mononuclear cells was measured. Results: Flow cytometric s tudies showed a significant decrease in the percentage of circulating CD8+, CD56+ and CD25+ cells in patients with chronic pancreatitis independent of the etiology, Comparing all patients with chronic pancreatitis to controls , the proliferation rate was not significantly increased, but patients with pain (n = 5) showed increased proliferation in comparison to patients with out pain (n = 6), No significant difference in natural killer cytotoxicity was observed, The in vitro release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and inter leukin-10 by stimulated mononuclear cells was increased, Conclusions: Chron ic pancreatitis is accompanied by systemic immune dysregulation, The observ ed changes in peripheral mononuclear cells reveal additional evidence that the cell-mediated immune response may contribute to the development of pain and tissue destruction in chronic pancreatitis. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karg er AG. Basel.