Assessment of T- and B-lymphocytes and VEGF-A in acute pancreatitis

Highlighting certain characteristics of T- and B-lymphocytes, as well as of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) as a prognosis factors for patients suffering from acute pancreatitis, with the scope of establishing diagnosis and therapy.

Pancreatic tissue samples were analyzed, originating from 21 patients deceased due to acute pancreatitis, between the years 2015 and 2016. The study group was subdivided into two subgroups by pathology duration. As control group, pancreatic tissue fragments were sampled from eight patients, deceased due to non-pancreatic acute surgical abdomen (NPASA).

By analyzing the immunohistochemical expression of T-lymphocytes (immunomarked with the anti-CD3 antibody) and of B-lymphocytes (immunomarked with the anti-CD20 antibody), both on the tissue sections originating from the study patients, as well as the control group patients, we established that these were mostly present in the interstitium, following which the acini, less frequently in the islets, in general with B-lymphocytes being less present than T-lymphocytes. VEGF-A also tends to emerge in the acini periphery, at the border with the stromal connective tissue, while the islets are almost negative for VEGF-A.

We can state that the decreased expression of T- and B-lymphocytes in normal pancreatic tissue, surrounding the necrosis areas, can be used as an aggravated prognosis factor for patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Moreover, the increased immunohistochemical expression of VEGF-A can play an important role in tracking the evolution and pathology of acute pancreatitis.