Published online Jul 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i25.4001
Revised: March 27, 2013
Accepted: April 10, 2013
Published online: July 7, 2013
Core tip: This study examines cytokine levels in a sub-set of patients recruited from within the ANTICIPATE randomized controlled trial of antox for painful chronic pancreatitis. At baseline, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels were within the laboratory reference range in patients allocated to the antioxidant arm and those allocated to placebo. After 6 mo of intervention with antox, there was a significant elevation in antioxidant levels in patients in the active treatment arm. This was not associated with any change in either pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. In patients with chronic pancreatitis, with opiate-dependent abdominal pain, circulating cytokine levels are low suggesting that pain in this disease is not simply a manifestation of inflammation.