Morphofunctional features of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue of intestine as an organ of immune system and its role in the development of diseases

Reticuloendothelial system (RES) is considered one of the local immune response regulation centers. It takes part in most physiological and pathological processes, namely, in local homeostasis, in regulation of trophism and immunological responses of both primary and secondary immune responses. The main cell population of (RES) is a macrophage, which is a stationary cell that can move only within the tissue layer. Dendritic cells as representatives of (RES) as well are under direct control of macrophages. Up to 80% of all immunocompetent cells are concentrated in the intestinal mucosa. For adequate interaction with the intestinal microbiota and ensuring immunological tolerance to normal commensals, there is a lymphoid tissue associated with the intestinal mucosa (gut-associated lymphoid tissue – GALT), in which mononuclear phagocytes perform their most significant functions. When pathogenic microorganisms enter the mucosa, the network of resident macrophages as an immune barrier triggers an inflammatory response to further stabilize homeostasis. However, a pronounced microbial and antigenic load in the gut requires the mandatory presence of specific immune cells – lymphocytes, whose immature forms are located in GALT structures and specialize under the guidance of mononuclear phagocytes. After the final differentiation, lymphocytes expressing integrin α4β7 are able to return from the systemic bloodstream to the intestinal mucosa to perform highly specific functions. This phenomenon is called the homing effect. It was noted that in non-specific ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, both the number of regulatory T-lymphocytes and their expression of integrin α4β7 increases. The pathology of the homing effect, according to some researchers, explains the possibility of follow-up secondary lesions in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases with the development of systemic pathology.