Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1992 Jun;42(6):387-400.
doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1992.tb03243.x.

Mucosal defense mechanism in health and disease. Role of the mucosal immune system

Affiliations
Review

Mucosal defense mechanism in health and disease. Role of the mucosal immune system

H Nagura. Acta Pathol Jpn. 1992 Jun.

Abstract

The mucosal immune system is characterized predominantly by the secretory antibody response and gut-associated lymphoid tissue, cellular part of the mucosal immune system. The secretory antibody system depends on local production and selective epithelial transport of secretory IgA and IgM. Furthermore, secretory antibodies and interactions between the intestinal epithelium and T cells are involved in the mucosal down-regulation of the systemic immune system. Neuropeptides play a crucial role in the regulation of mucosal immune responses. It is possible that impairment of the mucosal immune response contributes to the pathogenesis of various intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Until recently, however, mucosal immunity received relatively little attention from both basic and clinical scientists. Further research on mucosal immunity seems to have promise in helping to provide new understanding of the immune mechanisms and pathogenesis of several gastrointestinal and systemic diseases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources