During the last few years attention has been focused on an important role of inflammatory mediators in the pathophysiology and systemic complications of acute pancreatitis. The present study deals with those of the mediators which have shown demonstrable activity in the course of pancreatitis, e.g. acute-phase proteins (among others C-reactive protein and alpha-1-antitrypsin) and neutrophil elastase (PMN-elastase) as the marker for granulocyte activity. The activity of cytokines IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1, of alpha-cachectin (TNF alpha), as well as of the platelet-activating factor (PAF) and the trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP), was discussed.