The Clinical Phenotype of Chinese Patients With Autoimmune Pancreatitis Differs Significantly From Western Patients

Aim To characterize the clinical features of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) in China and compare differences between our Chinese cohort and Western cohorts. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with AIP that was carried out in the China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 2010 and April 2021. We included a total of 50 patients (46 males and 4 females) aged between 27 and 86 years who fulfilled the international Consensus Diagnostic (ICD) Criteria. For comparative purposes, we included data from seven representative Western cohorts. Result When comparing Chinese and Western patients, we found that obstructive jaundice was the most frequent initial symptom (68 vs. 43%, P < 0.001). Extra-pancreatic organ involvement was more common in Chinese patients (68 vs. 30%, P < 0.001). Sclerosing cholangitis was the most frequent extrapancreatic lesion (48 vs. 24%, P = 0.001). The elevation of serum IgG4 was more obvious in our cohort (86 vs. 49%, P < 0.001). Conversely, the rates of ANA-positivity were significantly higher in Western populations (17 vs. 50%, P = 0.006). With regards to imaging, diffuse swelling was significantly more common in China (44 vs. 27%, P = 0.021). Steroid therapy was used more frequently in our Chinese patients (84 vs. 59%, P = 0.001). The steroid-response rate was also significantly higher in our Chinese patients (85 vs. 54%, P = 0.001); However, the rate of resection was higher in Western cohorts (2 vs. 31%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two populations with regards to recurrence rate (33 vs. 33%, P = 1.000). Conclusion This study identified significant differences between Chinese and Western populations of patients with AIP. Within the Chinese population, AIP was more likely to have jaundice and extra-pancreatic organ involvement, and elevated serum IgG4 levels. Chinese patients were also showed favorable responses to treatment with glucocorticoids.

Abstract licence: CC BY

35 more references, whose wording the paper’s licence keeps private.

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.