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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
08:14
Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes
Published on: May 8, 2016
Dynamics and function of solitary intestinal lymphoid tissue
Heike Herbrand1, Günter Bernhardt, Reinhold Förster
1Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Critical Reviews in Immunology
|February 27, 2008
Summary
Solitary intestinal lymphoid tissue (SILT) represents a unified concept for diverse gut lymphoid structures, highlighting their plasticity and crucial role in mucosal immunity and antigen surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Peyer's patches are key for intestinal immunity.
- Diverse, small lymphoid structures in the gut have been variably named and functionally ascribed.
- Previous classifications overlooked the potential unity of these structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a unified concept for various small intestinal lymphoid structures, termed solitary intestinal lymphoid tissue (SILT).
- To highlight the plasticity of SILT in response to environmental stimuli like gut microbiota.
- To review the emerging understanding of SILT's role in mucosal immunity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and conceptual synthesis.
- Analysis of phenotypic diversity and functional data of intestinal lymphoid tissues.
- Integration of recent findings on SILT's interaction with antigens and pathogens.
Main Results:
- Phenotypically diverse, small lymphoid structures are proposed to be manifestations of a single entity: SILT.
- SILT exhibits significant plasticity, adapting to environmental cues such as intestinal microflora.
- Emerging evidence suggests SILT acts as a critical entry point for antigens and pathogens, initiating immune responses.
Conclusions:
- SILT is a unified concept encompassing various small intestinal lymphoid tissues.
- SILT plays a vital, previously underestimated role in intestinal immune surveillance and response induction.
- Understanding SILT is crucial for comprehending mucosal immunity and host-microbe interactions.
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