Acute lung injury in acute pancreatitis--awaiting the big leap.

Acute lung injury is a severe complication to acute pancreatitis and a significant health problem associated with a considerable mortality. Underlying mechanisms are complex and poorly understood, although recent insights have identified several inflammatory profiles and cellular components involved to varying degrees during different phases of pancreatitis exacerbation and acute lung injury. This review aims to highlight the current understanding of the inflammatory and cellular components involved in and responsible for the associations of acute pancreatitis and acute lung injury, with the hope of thereby providing an increased understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In addition, novel experimental models of modulating the pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury are presented, interventions that may be of potential future clinical value.