title: Chronic pancreatitis--new pathophysiological concepts.
abstract: The pathophysiology of chronic pancreatitis has been a controversial topic of discussion for decades. None of the concepts proposed up until now have been able to elucidate the course of the disease in a conclusive matter. However, with the growth of new techniques in cell and molecular biology and the ability to create genetically modified cell systems and animals, many new and potentially important mechanisms have been discovered in recent years. This article will review these new pathophysiological aspects in chronic pancreatitis, which include growth factor overexpression, inflammatory mediator activation, deregulated immune response and altered nerve growth with specific neuroimmune interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Berne, Inselspital. berberat@aol.com
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Berberat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friess
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Büchler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000503:physiopathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D018836:Inflammation Mediators