Originally described as an interferon (IFN)-γ-inducing factor, interleukin (IL)-18 has been reported to be involved in Th1 and Th2 immune responses, as well as in activation of NK cells and macrophages. There is convincing evidence that IL-18 plays an important role in various pathologies (i.e. inflammatory diseases, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Crohn's disease and others). Recently, IL-18 has also been shown to execute specific effects in pancreatic diseases, including acute and chronic pancreatitis, as well as pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to give a profound review of recent data on the role of IL-18 and its potential as a therapeutic target in pancreatic diseases. The existing data on this topic are in part controversial and will be discussed in detail. Future studies should aim to confirm and clarify the role of IL-18 in pancreatic diseases and unravel their molecular mechanisms.

白介素（IL）-18最初被描述为干扰素（IFN）-γ诱导因子，据报道与Th1和Th2免疫反应以及NK细胞和巨噬细胞的激活有关。有令人信服的证据表明，IL-18在各种病理学（例如炎性疾病，癌症，慢性阻塞性肺病，克罗恩病等）中起着重要作用。最近，IL-18还显示出在胰腺疾病（包括急性和慢性胰腺炎以及胰腺癌）中具有特定作用。这项研究的目的是对IL-18的作用及其在胰腺疾病中作为治疗靶标的潜力的最新数据进行深刻的回顾。有关该主题的现有数据部分存在争议，将进行详细讨论。