Severe Acute Pancreatitis: Gut Barrier Failure, Systemic Inflammatory Response, Acute Lung Injury, and the Role of the Mesenteric Lymph

Background: Severe acute pancreatitis (AP) often leads to distant organ dysfunction with a high morbidity and mortality rate. The most common and earliest organ to fail is the lungs, but the exact pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease are still unclear. No successful targeted therapy exists, and treatment is limited to organ supportive care. It is believed that the gut is involved in the development of distant organ failure, as...