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Pig Journal Volume: 55
Publication date: May 2005

Proceedings Section

THE MUCOSAL IMMUNE SYSTEM OF THE NEONATAL PIGLET
C.F. Inman, P. Jones, C. Harris, K. Haverson, B. Miller, C. Stokes and M. Bailey

Abstract
The gut is a major site of exposure to pathogenic organisms and a large antigenic load in the form of food proteins and commensal bacteria. Therefore, the intestinal mucosal immune system must be capable of responding to pathogens, as well as regulating responses against harmless antigens. This is achieved by a complex balance of effector and regulatory mechanisms within the gut. The mucosal immune system of the neonatal pig is essentially absent, but these studies show that this situation changes rapidly with an influx of immune cells (both T lymphocytes and APCs) to the intestine from 2 days of age. They have also found confirmed clustering of T cells with APCs, suggesting an active role for these APCs in antigen sampling and the maintenance of appropriate balance between active immune responses and tolerance.
Examination of the effects of rearing environment on these cells in pigs of different ages has revealed that lymphocytes from pigs reared in a high hygiene environment are more responsive to activation and secrete less IL-4. APCs from the same pigs express more MHC II without association with other cell surface molecules. Thus, rearing environment clearly affects the detail of development of the immunological architecture of the intestine. While the biological consequences of these alterations in lymphocyte and APC phenotype and function remain to be determined, it seems likely that these differences will reflect differences in ability of the neonate to express appropriate immune responses.

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