Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany.
Semin Immunopathol. 2018 Nov;40(6):555-565. doi: 10.1007/s00281-018-0701-1. Epub 2018 Sep 4.
Epithelial tissues cover most of the external and internal surfaces of the body and its organs. Inevitably, these tissues serve as first line of defence against inorganic, organic, and microbial intruders. Epithelial cells are the main cell type of these tissues. Besides their function as cellular barrier, there is growing evidence that epithelial cells are of particular relevance as initial sensors of danger and also as executers of adequate defence responses. These cells feature various essential functions to maintain tissue integrity in health and disease. In this review, we survey some of the different innate immune functions of epithelial cells in mucosal tissues being constantly exposed to a plethora of harmless contaminants but also of pathogens. We discuss how epithelial cells avoid inadequate immune responses in such conditions. In particular, we will focus on the diverse types and mechanisms of phagocytosis used by epithelial cells to not only maintain homeostasis but to also harness the host response against invading pathogens.
上皮组织覆盖着身体及其器官的大部分外部和内部表面。不可避免的是，这些组织是抵御无机、有机和微生物入侵者的第一道防线。上皮细胞是这些组织的主要细胞类型。除了作为细胞屏障的功能外，越来越多的证据表明上皮细胞作为危险的初始传感器以及执行适当防御反应具有特别重要的意义。这些细胞具有各种基本功能，以维持组织在健康和疾病中的完整性。在这篇综述中，我们调查了一些不同的先天免疫功能上皮细胞在粘膜组织中不断暴露于大量无害的污染物，但也有病原体。我们讨论了上皮细胞在这种情况下如何避免不适当的免疫反应。特别是，我们将集中讨论上皮细胞用来维持体内平衡的吞噬作用的不同类型和机制，以及利用宿主对入侵病原体的反应。
