The role of serological biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of autoimmune pancreatitis

Introduction Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a fibroinflammatory disease of the pancreas. Type 1 AIP is the pancreatic manifestation of a systemic IgG4-related disease and is associated with serum elevation of IgG4, tissue infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells, and multiorgan involvement. Although serum IgG4 elevation is considered a useful diagnostic tool, the concomitant presence of more diagnostic criteria is needed to achieve diagnosis. No other biomarkers have been approved in clinical practice in type 1 AIP. Type 2 AIP is a pancreatic-specific disease associated with inflammatory bowel disease. No specific biomarkers for type 2 AIP have been identified.Areas covered The role of serum IgG4 in the diagnosis, management and follow-up of patients with type 1 AIP. Moreover, data on other emerging biomarkers for type 1 and 2 AIP have been reported.Expert Opinion The diagnosis of AIP is challenging in clinical practice, especially for focal forms without multiorgan involvement, where distinction from pancreatic cancer can be difficult. Despite the strong association with type 1 AIP, serum IgG4 should only be measured when the suspicion for the disease is high, considering its limited sensitivity. New biomarkers with high diagnostic yield for both type 1 and type 2 AIP are needed.