Immunity, Inflammation, and Allergy in the Gut
Thomas T. MacDonald1*
and
Giovanni Monteleone2
The gut immune system has the challenge of responding to pathogens while remaining relatively unresponsive to food antigens and the commensal microflora. In the developed world, this ability appears to be breaking down, with chronic inflammatory diseases of the gut commonplace in the apparent absence of overt infections. In both mouse and man, mutations in genes that control innate immune recognition, adaptive immunity, and epithelial permeability are all associated with gut inflammation. This suggests that perturbing homeostasis between gut antigens and host immunity represents a critical determinant in the development of gut inflammation and allergy.
1 Division of Infection, Inflammation, and Repair, University of Southampton School of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
2 Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Centro di Eccellenza per lo Studio delle Malattie Complesse e Multifattoriali, Università Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
* Present address: Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Turner Street, London E1 2AD, UK.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: t.t.macdonald{at}qmul.ac.uk
