title: 4. Gastrointestinal mucosal immunity.
abstract: Mucosal surfaces constitute a large host-environmental interface that must be protected from pathogenic organisms. The mucosal immune system has evolved as a distinct immune organ functioning independently from its systemic counterpart. The mucosal immune system has the difficult task of mounting protective responses to invading microorganisms while maintaining a state of nonresponsiveness to commensal bacteria and food antigens. The system has unique cellular components and functional aspects that permit it to carry out this dual role.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Barry K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Wershil
authors.forename: Glenn T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Furuta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D019879:Paneth Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A