Objective: The objective of the study was to study the relationship between autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and colitis in C57BL/6 interleukin 10-deficient (IL-10KO) mice and to compare the extrapancreatic involvement of AIP between IL-10KO and MRL/Mp mice that developed pancreatitis.
Methods: Six-week-old female IL-10KO and MRL/Mp mice were injected intraperitoneally with polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) twice weekly for 8 or 12 weeks, respectively. The mice were killed, and the severity of inflammation in the pancreas, colon, liver, bile duct, and salivary gland was assessed using histological scoring systems. T-cell subsets derived from IL-10KO mice with pancreatitis were adoptively transferred into recombination activating gene 2-deficient mice.
Results: Administration of poly I:C induced pancreatitis and accelerated the development of colitis in IL-10KO mice. Pancreatitis was characterized by specific destruction of exocrine glands and the production of various autoantibodies. Involvement of the liver and bile duct was observed in both IL-10KO and MRL/Mp mice, but sialadenitis was present only in MRL/Mp mice. Adoptive transfer of CD4(+) T cells from AIP mice induced pancreatitis in recipient mice.
Conclusions: Pancreatitis in IL-10KO mice resembles human type 1 AIP and is not associated with colitis. Genetic background may affect susceptibility to extrapancreatic involvement in type 1 AIP.