Respiratory and gastrointestinal epithelial modulation of the immune response during viral infection

• Published in: Innate immunity (London, England) Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 179 - 189
• Main Authors: Fitch, Paul M, Henderson, Paul, Schwarze, Jürgen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.02.2012
• Subjects: Adaptive Immunity; Animals; Cell Communication - immunology; Gastric Mucosa - immunology; Gastric Mucosa - virology; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Intestinal Mucosa - virology; Respiratory Mucosa - immunology; Respiratory Mucosa - virology; Virus Diseases - immunology; lung; viruses; intestinal mucosa; innate immunity; Epithelium
• ISSN: 1753-4259; 1753-4267; 1753-4267
• DOI: 10.1177/1753425910391826

Respiratory and enteric viral infections cause significant morbidity and mortality world-wide and represent a major socio-economic burden. Many of these viruses have received unprecedented public and media interest in recent years. A popular public misconception is that viruses are a threat to which the human body has only limited defences. However, the majority of primary and secondary exposures to virus are asymptomatic or induce only minor symptoms. The mucosal epithelial surfaces are the main portal of entry for viral pathogens and are centrally involved in the initiation, maintenance and polarisation of the innate and adaptive immune response to infection. This review describes the defences employed by the epithelium of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts during viral infections with focus on epithelial modulation of the immune response at the innate/adaptive interface.