Dissecting the stress activating signaling pathways in acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
Acute pancreatitis is a severe and frequently a life-threatening disease which can lead to pancreatic necrosis, acute lung injury, SIRS and MODS. The pathophysiologic pattern of acute pancreatitis is being investigated, when guidelines for treatment are being modified often and novel therapeutic strategies have failed to show real benefit in clinical practice.


METHODS
The present paper reviews the role of nuclear factors NF-kappaB and AP-1, TNFalpha, and TLR-4 in acute pancreatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the inflammatory mediators expression, regulation of apoptosis and dissecting the stress activating signaling pathways in acute pancreatitis, is of paramount importance in order to achieve in the near future adequate therapeutic interventions.
Giakoustidis
Alexandros
A
Surgical and Medical Gastrointestinal Unit, The London Clinic, 20 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6BW, UK.
Mudan
Satvinder S
SS
Giakoustidis
Dimitrios
D
D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000502:physiology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology
D016328:NF-kappa B; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha