[Mediators of the inflammatory response in the course of acute pancreatitis]

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most frequent causes of acute inflammatory states in the abdominal cave. In majority of cases the disease, if properly treated, has a selflimiting course and terminates in several days. However, in about 20% of patients with diagnosed AP haemorrhagic and necrotic lesions of the pancreas occur what effects in multiple organ injury and high mortality of these patients. Early diagnosis of haemorrhagic and necrotizing outcome of the disease is difficult, therefore new markers of necrotizing acute pancreatitis are still under research. Cytokines mediating inflammatory process may provide some specific information on the expected outcome of acute pancreatitis. Article reviews the information about the role of inflammatory cytokines in development and outcome of acute pancreatitis.