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World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Aug 15, 2014; 5(3): 147-157
Published online Aug 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i3.147
Published online Aug 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i3.147
Molecular mechanisms of alcohol associated pancreatitis
Dahn L Clemens, Nebraska-Western Iowa Veterans Administration Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68105, United States
Dahn L Clemens, Mark A Wells, Katrina J Schneider, Shailender Singh, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
Dahn L Clemens, Shailender Singh, Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
Author contributions: All the authors solely contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Dahn L Clemens, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 4400 Emile St, Omaha, NE 68198, United States. dclemens@unmc.edu
Telephone: +1-402-9953738 Fax: +1-402-4490604
Received: March 21, 2014
Revised: April 26, 2014
Accepted: June 10, 2014
Published online: August 15, 2014
Revised: April 26, 2014
Accepted: June 10, 2014
Published online: August 15, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Alcohol abuse is commonly associated with the development of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Despite this close association, the fact that only a small percentage of human beings who abuse alcohol develop pancreatitis indicates that alcohol abuse alone is not sufficient to initiate clinical pancreatitis. It is widely believed that ethanol sensitizes the pancreas to injury and additional factors trigger the development of overt pancreatitis. How ethanol sensitizes the pancreas to pancreatitis in not entirely known. We will review the mechanisms by which ethanol is thought to sensitize human beings to pancreatic injury.