Role of macrophages in the progression of acute pancreatitis

Figure 1 Depending on the microenvironment, macrophages could follow different activation processes. Classical M1 activation is induced by bacterial products or pro-inflammatory cytokines as tumor necrosis factor α or IFNγ. Regulatory M2b activation is induced by glucocorticoids, prostaglandins or interleukin (IL)-10. Finally, reparative M2a activation depends mainly on IL-4 and IL-13. Since these phenotypes could be redirected, the modulation of macrophage phenotype could be a promising therapeutical approach for the treatment of the systemic effects of acute pancreatitis. TNFα: Tumor necrosis factor α.