Intestinal T lymphocytes.
The intestine is largely colonized by bacteria and further exposed to an immense array of ingested and shed immunogenic material. Therefore, the gut associated lymphoid tissue plays a major role in the human immune system. It may even constitute a unique immune system of its own, since it has been demonstrated to differ anatomically, phenotypically, functionally and on a molecular basis from its systemic counterpart and other peripheral lymphoid tissue. This is ultimately reflected by the observation in (transgenic) mice that intraepithelial T cells can develop independently of the thymus. Along the same lines, a rapidly growing body of evidences suggests that human bone marrow precursors can home to the gut epithelium, rearrange their T cell receptor genes and further differentiate in the mucosal micro environment. This, and other features that characterize the 'diffuse' mucosal T cell infiltrate will be discussed.
Robijn
R J
RJ
Dept. of Gastroenterology, Immunology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Logtenberg
T
T
Wiegman
L J
LJ
van Berge Henegouwen
G P
GP
Houwen
R W
RW
Koningsberger
J C
JC
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell