Apoptosis in acute pancreatitis.
BACKGROUND
Apoptosis may be involved in the mechanism of acinar cell injury in acute experimental pancreatitis.


OBJECTIVE
This study was to investigate whether apoptosis also is involved in human acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
A needle biopsy pancreatic specimen was obtained from a patient with acute oedematous pancreatitis. The specimen was stained with In Situ Cell Death Detection Kit. Similar specimen from a patient undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for bile duct cancer served as a control.


RESULTS
Extended acinar cell apoptosis was found in the pancreatitis specimen. No single apoptotic cell was found in the control pancreas.


CONCLUSIONS
Apoptosis probably is involved not only in acute experimental pancreatitis but also in human acute oedematous pancreatitis. The induction and role of apoptosis in pancreatis is discussed based on literature.
He
Z J
ZJ
Department of Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
Podkletnova
I
I
Alho
H
H
Sand
J
J
Nordback
I
I
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*