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The lymphoid system and immunologic defense of the digestive tract

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Ultrastructure of the Digestive Tract

Part of the book series: Electron Microscopy in Biology and Medicine ((EMBM,volume 4))

Abstract

Lymphocytes and macrophages are distributed in the intestinal tract as isolated cell populations in the intestinal epithelium and lamina propria and are present in focal aggregates forming lymphoid follicles. Ultrastructural investigation has played a major role in understanding the cellular interactions and cytoarchitectural details critical to function of the mucosal immune system (1–3). The lymphoid tissue of the intestinal tract, which includes that tissue present in the oral cavity, pharynx, Peyer’s patches, appendix, and isolated follicles in the small and large intestines, represents a substantial fraction of the lymphoid elements which make up the immune system. Collectively, these immunologic structures, termed gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT), present a large surface area to a variety of potential antigens and respond in a highly coordinated fashion during the recognition of foreign molecules and pathogens. The distribution of lymphoid cells reflects varying antigen load in different regions of the intestine. Lymphoid tissue is prominent in the oropharynx, minimal in the esophagus and stomach, where rapid transit time and acid secretions reduce the antigenic burden, and becomes abundant again in the distal small intestine and the large intestine, where stasis promotes bacterial proliferation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cell Biology and Aging Section (151E), Veterans Administration Medical Cencter, 4150 Clement Street, 94121, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Jacques Pappo DDS, DMSc

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  1. Jacques Pappo DDS, DMSc
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  2. Robert L. Owen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    P. M. Motta M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Anatomy, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan

    H. Fujita M.D.

  3. Department of Anatomy, University Medical School, Rome, Italy

    S. Correr Ph.D.

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© 1988 Martinus Nijhoff Publishing, Boston

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Pappo, J., Owen, R.L. (1988). The lymphoid system and immunologic defense of the digestive tract. In: Motta, P.M., Fujita, H., Correr, S. (eds) Ultrastructure of the Digestive Tract. Electron Microscopy in Biology and Medicine, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2071-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2071-5_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9229-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2071-5

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