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Immunologically mediated damage to the intestinal mucosa.
1Department of Immunology, Hospital for Sick Children, London, U.K.
Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica. Supplement
|January 1, 1990
Summary
This review explores how immune responses can damage the intestinal lining. It suggests that a loss of oral tolerance, which normally prevents food allergies, may cause food-sensitive enteropathies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- The intestinal mucosa is susceptible to immune-mediated damage.
- Gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) play a crucial role in intestinal immunity.
- Oral tolerance is a key mechanism for preventing adverse immune responses to food antigens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for immunologically mediated intestinal damage.
- To discuss mechanisms of gastrointestinal immunoregulation and lymphocyte homing.
- To explore the role of oral tolerance in food-sensitive enteropathies.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental and clinical evidence.
- Summary of GALT structures.
- Discussion of hypersensitivity reactions (Type I and Type IV).
Main Results:
- Evidence supports immune-mediated damage to the intestinal mucosa.
- Homing receptors facilitate lymphocyte recirculation.
- Anaphylactic and delayed type hypersensitivity reactions are relevant to allergic injury.
Conclusions:
- Abrogation or modulation of oral tolerance is postulated as the cause of food-sensitive enteropathies.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for diagnosing and treating food-related gastrointestinal disorders.