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Warren Strober, MD; Stephen P. James, MD

JAMA. 1987;258(20):2962-2969.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

OVERVIEW OF THE MUCOSAL IMMUNE SYSTEM

THE MUCOSAL immune system is composed of lymphoid organs that interface with the various mucosal surfaces. As such it displays a number of features that differentiate it from other parts of the immune system and that allow it to cope more effectively with the complex antigenic environment of the mucosa.^1,2 One unique feature is the tendency of cells originating in the mucosal follicles (such as Peyer's patches) to migrate to the diffuse lymphoid tissue underlying the epithelium of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the lungs, the reproductive tract, and the lactating mammary gland. Such mucosa-specific "homing" is a mechanism for concentrating cells induced by mucosal antigens in mucosal areas.

Another unique feature of the mucosal immune system relates to the fact that B cells in mucosal follicles tend to differentiate into cells that produce IgA immunoglobulin, ie, an immunoglobulin particularly suited to mucosal function. . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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