Reduced pancreatic volume and beta-cell area in XXXX with chronic pancreatitis.

@entity1 @entity1689 @entity6
BACKGROUND _ AIMS: @entity1689 ( @entity1689 ) often leads to the development of @entity6 . To understand better this pathogenic mechanism, we investigated whether islet cell area and pancreatic volume are reduced in @entity1689 @entity1 , islet cell turnover increases in @entity1689 @entity1 , and islet cells are less vulnerable to apoptosis than acinar cells. METHODS: Pancreatic tissues from 43 @entity1 with @entity1689 and 27 controls were examined by immunohistochemistry and quantitative morphometry. Pancreas volume was determined using abdominal computed tomography data. RESULTS: The pancreatic volumes were 64.9 +/- 4.3 cm(3) in @entity1689 @entity1 and 82.3 +/- 6.7 cm(3) in controls (P = .035). beta-cell areas were 0.69% +/- 0.08% in @entity1689 @entity1 and 0.97% +/- 0.08% in controls (P = .017), whereas alpha-cell areas did not differ between the groups (P = .47). There were no differences in the frequencies of replication among groups of alpha-cells, beta-cells, duct cells, or acinar cells nor were there differences in numbers of apoptotic alpha-cells or beta-cells between @entity1689 @entity1 and controls. However, @entity1689 @entity1 had an approximately 10-fold increase in numbers of apoptotic acinar cells compared with controls (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic volume was reduced by 21%, and the area comprising beta-cells was reduced by 29% in @entity1 with @entity1689 . The lack of increased beta-cells turnover in @entity1689 @entity1 , despite an approximately 10-fold increase in the number of apoptotic acinar cells, suggests that the damage to the pancreas is highly specific for the exocrine compartment and affects the endocrine islets to a lesser extent.
