Increased central memory T cells in patients with chronic pancreatitis

Background/Aims: A dysregulated immune response has been suggested to be important for the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Formation of immunological memory is based on the differentiation of naïve T lymphocytes to memory T lymphocytes after exposure to antigens and specific cytokines. The aim of this study was to analyze peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with CP for different T lymphocyte subsets including naïve and memory T cells. Methods: PBMCs from 9 patients who had undergone pancreatic resection due to CP, 9 CP patients who had not been resected and 9 healthy controls were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: Patients with CP had a skewed distribution of T lymphocytes, with an increased level of CCR7+/CD45RA− central memory T lymphocytes compared to healthy controls. Nonresected CP patients and subjects who had undergone pancreatic resection due to CP had similar levels of central memory T lymphocytes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the dysregulation of the immune system in chronic pancreatitis seems to persist even after removal of large parts of the local inflammatory site. We suggest that the increase of central memory T lymphocytes may be important for maintaining the inflammatory process in chronic pancreatitis.