The Colon and Rectum as Inductor Sites for Local and Distant Mucosal Immunity

Abstract

The principles governing the induction of local mucosal immune responses are not completely understood. This is due in part to the lack of practical methods for the quantitation of specific IgA antibodies in secretions on local mucosal surfaces. Most current techniques, which rely upon the use of washes of the excised gut¹, the products of intestinal gavage in vivo ², or peripheral blood lymphocytes³, give only a summary of these responses. To evaluate the effect of vaccines intended for mucosal application, it is important that secretory immune responses be measured at the specific sites which are relevant to protection.