title: Clinical characteristics of 327 Asian patients with autoimmune pancreatitis based on Asian diagnostic criteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the clinical and pathophysiological characteristics of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) in Asia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, actual situation survey of AIP diagnosed by Asian criteria was conducted in 10 centers of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, and India.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 327 AIP cases (258 male and 69 female subjects; average age, 60.0 years) were enrolled. Obstructive jaundice was the most frequent initial symptom (46%-74%), followed by weight loss (4%-51%) and abdominal pain (19%-44%). Diffuse swelling of the pancreas was frequent in Japan (64%) and Korea (81%), but segmental swelling of the pancreas was more frequent in Taiwan (70%) and China (72%) (P < 0.01). Serum immunoglobulin G4 levels were elevated in 58%-100% of cases in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Pathologically, almost all AIPs in Asia were lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis. Sclerosing cholangitis was the most frequent extrapancreatic lesion (60%-81%). Steroid therapy was a major and effective therapeutic strategy in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. However, the rate of resection or bypass operation was higher in Taiwan (40%) and China (72%) (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Features of AIP are fundamentally similar in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. Knowledge of emerging AIP should be more widespread in Asia to avoid unnecessary operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. kamisawa@cick.jp
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamisawa
authors.forename: Myung-Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wei-Chih
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Quanda
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Vallath
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
authors.forename: Kazuichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Tooru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimosegawa
authors.forename: Jae Bock
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kyu Taek
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsiu-Po
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tsung-Chun
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gourdas
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Choudhuri
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013256:Steroids