Autoimmune pancreatitis as a risk factor of pancreatic cancer.

Background: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a form of chronic pancreatitis that presents clinically with obstructive icterus, histologically with infiltration of pancreatic parenchyma by inflammatory cells leading to chronic inflammation with fibrosis, and therapeutically with good response to corticosteroid therapy. Clinically, it may resemble malignant disease, making diagnosis difficult and requiring a multidisciplinary team (gastroenterologist, endoscopist, radiologist, surgeon, pathologist). Two types of AIP are distinguished.

Vitamin D in blood serum and chronic pancreatitis.

Unlabelled: Patients with chronic pancreatitis are at risk of developing malabsorption and malnutrition. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is accompanied by decreased serum micronutrient levels and low vitamin D levels are a frequent finding in up to 60-80% of patients. The aim of our prospective study was to investigate vitamin D in the blood serum of subjects with chronic pancreatitis with the possibility of influencing the reduced vitamin D levels with supplementation therapy.