Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the potential for pancreatic calcification in autoimmune pancreatitis by investigating osteopontin and CD44 expression.
Methods: Human pancreatic tissues in normal pancreas, chronic pancreatitis, and autoimmune pancreatitis were obtained from the surgical specimens of 42 patients. Pancreatic tissues from male Wistar Bonn/Kobori rats were also used as an animal autoimmune pancreatitis model.
Results: The incidences of osteopontin expression in centroacinar cells in chronic pancreatitis with calcification and in autoimmune pancreatitis were significantly greater than that in normal pancreas (P < 0.05). Some cases of chronic pancreatitis and autoimmune pancreatitis expressed CD44 in centroacinar cells and ductal cells. In male Wistar Bonn/Kobori rats, the inflammatory area and percentage of osteopontin-CD44-positive cells increased with advancing age (P < 0.01 or 0.05).
Conclusions: These results suggest that autoimmune pancreatitis has the potential for pancreatic calcification over a long-term clinical course.