Kraal G, Wolvers D A
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2001;49 Suppl 1:S1-6.
Mucosal tolerance is an immunological phenomenon specific to mucosal surfaces as found in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. It results in the suppression of immune responses to inhaled or ingested antigens and prevents the body from unwanted and unnecessary immunological responses to harmless molecules, such as grass-pollen or food constituents. This imposes the difficult task for the immune system of keeping a balance between reacting and non-reacting, and disturbances of this balance result in allergies and, possibly, autoimmunity, as well as opportunistic infections and even an escape from tumor surveillance. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie mucosal tolerance is, therefore, important from different viewpoints. Maintenance or (re)induction of mucosal tolerance to, e.g., food proteins, airborne allergens or autoantigens is desirable to prevent or cure allergies and autoimmune diseases. However, induction of mucosal tolerance is an unwanted phenomenon in mucosal vaccination and in the case of mucosal tumors.
黏膜耐受是一种在肺部和胃肠道等黏膜表面特有的免疫现象。它会抑制对吸入或摄入抗原的免疫反应，并防止身体对无害分子（如草花粉或食物成分）产生不必要的免疫反应。这给免疫系统带来了一项艰巨的任务，即要在反应和不反应之间保持平衡，而这种平衡的失调会导致过敏，甚至可能引发自身免疫、机会性感染，甚至使肿瘤逃脱免疫监视。因此，从不同角度理解黏膜耐受的潜在机制都很重要。维持或（重新）诱导对例如食物蛋白、空气传播的过敏原或自身抗原的黏膜耐受，对于预防或治疗过敏和自身免疫性疾病是有益的。然而，在黏膜疫苗接种和黏膜肿瘤的情况下，诱导黏膜耐受是一种不良现象。
