Potential Prognostic Markers and Molecules of Acute Pancreatitis- A Review

Acute pancreatitis (AP) being one of the rapidly emerging gastrointestinal concerns, needs early surveillance as the instantaneous inflammatory response in the pancreas may lead to severe pathological clinical phenotypes. Failure in monitoring AP may lead to severe inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) which is seen amongst one-fifth of individuals requiring extensive management and palliative care to prevent the disease progression. However, the major question of defining a definitive pool of molecular targets for AP remains unanswered thus far. As a first step towards designing a definitive pool of molecular targets for AP, we aim to compile the reported evidence of potential signaling molecules in AP. During AP, the inflammatory response-inducing factors trigger multiple signaling molecules that cause the pancreatic tissue assault. As a counter-active response, the host body's immune system initiates the resolution of inflammation and repair of the damaged tissue by stimulating various anti-inflammatory signaling molecules. The communication between the components of these pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signaling pathways opens up a wide window for the identification of various prognostic markers and molecular targets for the management of AP. This review collectively presents the available prognostic biomarkers in detail for a better prognosis of AP.