Tissue and organs of the immune system.ppt

* * * * * * * * * Lymphoid tissue found at the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract and urogenital tract. MALT consists of aggregates of lymphocytes, macrophages, DCs, and other accessory cells. MUCOSA-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID TISSUE (MALT) This is comprised of: * tonsils, adenoids (Waldeyers ring) * Peyers patches * lymphoid aggregates in the appendix and large intestine * lymphoid tissue accumulating with age in the stomach * diffusely distributed lymphoid cells and plasma cells in the lamina propria of the gut GUT-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID TISSUE (GALT) SKIN-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID TISSUE (SALT) Skin is an active participant in host defense. It has the capability to generate and support local immune and inflammatory responses to foreign Ags that enter the body via the skin. Cells of SALT include keratinocytes, Langerhans cells (immature DCs found in skin), intraepiethelial T cells, and melanocytes. Langerhans cells form a continuous epidermal meshwork: they capture Ag, then migrate to draining lymph nodes, where they act as Ag-presenting cells. Lymphocytes and some monos can recirculate between lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. This helps lymphocytes to be exposed to the antigens which they recognize and is valuable for the distribution of effector cells to sites where they are needed. The recirculation is a complex process depending on interactions between the cells of the immune response and other cell types such as endothelial cells. Naive lymphocytes move from the primary to secondary lymphoid tissue via the blood. Activated lymphocytes move from the spleen, lymph nodes, and other lymphoid tissue (e.g., MALT) into the blood and then to other lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. Ag-presenting cells may carry Ag back to lymphoid tissues from the periphery. The complex patterns of recirculation depend on the state of activation of the lymphocytes, the adhesion molecules expressed by endothelial cells, and the presence of chemotactic molecules,