title: Intestinal barrier function.
abstract: Intestinal barrier function regulates transport and host defense mechanisms at the mucosal interface with the outside world. Transcellular and paracellular fluxes are tightly controlled by membrane pumps, ion channels and tight junctions, adapting permeability to physiological needs. Food and microbial antigens are under constant surveillance of the mucosal immune system. Tolerance against commensals and immunity against pathogens require intact antigen uptake, recognition, processing and response mechanisms. Disturbance at any level, but particularly bacterial translocation due to increased permeability and breakdown of oral tolerance due to compromised epithelial and T cell interaction, can result in inflammation and tissue damage. New therapeutic approaches including probiotics and peptides to restore disrupted barrier function are evolving.
authors.affiliation: Charité Medical Center - Virchow Hospital, Medical School of the Humboldt-University of Berlin, Department of Medicine, Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Germany. daniel.baumgart@charite.de
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Baumgart
authors.forename: Axel U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Dignass
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D010539:Permeability; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000502:physiology