Carbonic anhydrase isozymes in the human pancreas

Recently, an increasing number of carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes have been discovered in the human pancreas. These isozymes are classified as the CA family with various molecular structures and different subcellular localizations: cytoplasmic CA II, mitochondrial CA VB, secretory CA VI, membrane-bound CA IV, and transmembrane CA IX and XII. However there is little evidence concerning their pathophysiological roles. Here, we reviewed the expression of CA isozymes in the human pancreas and proposed hypotheses related to their physiological and pathological roles.