title: Role of regulatory T cells in gastrointestinal inflammatory disease.
abstract: Regulatory T cells curb unwanted immune responses and regulate responses to microflora and it is now clear that regulatory T cells play an important role in a number of chronic inflammatory diseases of the gut. First, regulatory T cells are crucial in controlling immune responses to gastric autoantigens and thus preventing autoimmune gastritis and pernicious anemia. Second, regulatory T cells may modulate the response to Helicobacter pylori, thus affecting the ability of the immune system to clear the pathogen and mediate damage to the gastric mucosa. Finally, regulatory T cells play an important role in preventing damaging inflammatory responses to commensal organisms in the lower gut, thus guarding against inflammatory bowel diseases. In the present review, we examine the actions of regulatory T cells in the gut and conclude that further understanding of regulatory T cell biology may lead to new therapeutic approaches to chronic gastrointestinal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. i.vandriel@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: van Driel
authors.forename: Desmond K Y
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens