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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Examining the Role of Nasopharyngeal-associated Lymphoreticular Tissue NALT in Mouse Responses to Vaccines
Published on: August 1, 2012
Elementary immunology: Na+ as a regulator of immunity
Valentin Schatz1, Patrick Neubert1, Agnes Schröder2
1Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg-Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
Abstract:
The skin can serve as an interstitial Na+ reservoir. Local tissue Na+ accumulation increases with age, inflammation and infection. This increased local Na+ availability favors pro-inflammatory immune cell function and dampens their anti-inflammatory capacity. In this review, we summarize available data on how NaCl affects various immune cells. We particularly focus on how salt promotes pro-inflammatory macrophage and T cell function and simultaneously curtails their regulatory and anti-inflammatory potential. Overall, these findings demonstrate that local Na+ availability is a promising novel regulator of immunity. Hence, the modulation of tissue Na+ levels bears broad therapeutic potential: increasing local Na+ availability may help in treating infections, while lowering tissue Na+ levels may be used to treat, for example, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.
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