Early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis: current state of the problem

Recently, definition “early chronic pancreatitis”, describing the early stages of chronic pancreatitis, is gaining more recognition. Research on this topic includes issues of pathogenesis, early diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to early stages of chronic pancreatitis before changes in the pancreatic tissue become irreversible. It can help to avoid the development of complications and improve the prognosis of the disease. We can see a pronounced trend in diagnostic for visualization methods in diagnostic of chronic pancreatitis to searching for biomarkers that will allow diagnosing the disease at the stage of functional disorders of the pancreas with minimal and reversible changes in the tissue of the gland. Data on the initiation of chronic pancreatitis by an altered gut microbiota are increasingly confirmed. The dysbiotic proinflammatory composition of the microbiota triggers a continuum of events leading to the development of disease through increased gut permeability, development of endotoxemia, local and systemic inflammation. Thus, it should be expected that the composition of the intestinal microbiota, assessment of the cytokine profile and determination of the severity of immune cell activation could become early diagnostic markers of chronic pancreatitis.