The mucosal immune system in the oral cavity-an orchestra of T cell diversity.

Rui-qing WU; Dun-fang Zhang; Eric TU; Qian-ming Chen; Wanjun Chen

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The mucosal immune system in the oral cavity-an orchestra of T cell diversity.

Author: Rui-Qing WU ¹ ; Dun-Fang ZHANG ¹ ; Eric TU ² ; Qian-Ming CHEN ³ ; WanJun CHEN ²
Author Information

1. 1] Mucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA [2] State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
2. Mucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.
3. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
MeSH: Epithelium; immunology; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Mucosal; immunology; Mouth Diseases; immunology; Mouth Mucosa; immunology; Pharynx; immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; classification; immunology
From: International Journal of Oral Science 2014;6(3):125-132
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: The mucosal immune system defends against a vast array of pathogens, yet it exhibits limited responses to commensal microorganisms under healthy conditions. The oral-pharyngeal cavity, the gateway for both the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, is composed of complex anatomical structures and is constantly challenged by antigens from air and food. The mucosal immune system of the oral-pharyngeal cavity must prevent pathogen entry while maintaining immune homeostasis, which is achieved via a range of mechanisms that are similar or different to those utilized by the gastrointestinal immune system. In this review, we summarize the features of the mucosal immune system, focusing on T cell subsets and their functions. We also discuss our current understanding of the oral-pharyngeal mucosal immune system.