Intestinal immune defences and the inflammatory response in necrotising enterocolitis.
Necrotising enterocolitis is a devastating neonatal gastrointestinal emergency predominantly affecting low birth weight, premature infants and is accompanied by significant mortality and morbid sequelae. The pathophysiology remains obscure and the management of infants with necrotising enterocolitis has not changed since the recognition of this disease. Necrotising enterocolitis is most likely the clinical culmination of multiple different risk factors interacting with each other to produce bowel injury through a final, common inflammatory pathway. Here, we review intestinal immunity and the specific inflammatory mediators involved in this disease process.
Martin
Camilia R
CR
Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Rose-318, Boston, MA 02215, USA. cmartin1@bidmc.harvard.edu
Walker
W Allan
WA
D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors