Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (BALT) Is Not Present in the Normal Adult Lung but in Different Diseases
- 1 February 2000
- journal article
- review article
- Published by S. Karger AG in Pathobiology
- Vol. 68 (1), 1-8
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000028109
Abstract
Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) was first described in the lungs of rabbits and differs greatly between species. It is part of the integrated mucosal immune system. This review clarifies its morphological definition and focuses on the situation in humans. The frequency of BALT at different ages, after chronic stimulation and in different diseases is described. In healthy humans, BALT can only be found in the lungs of children and adolescents. The role of BALT in lung transplantation and in the development of low-grade malignant lymphomas in the airways is also discussed. Furthermore, questions concerning the inducibility of BALT as an entry site for vaccines, and the regulation of its activity for future therapeutic interventions in pulmonary immune reactions are addressed.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Could the airway epithelium play an important role in mucosal immunoglobulin A production?Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 1999
- Regional specialization in the mucosal immune system: primed cells do not always home along the same trackImmunology Today, 1999
- Regional specialization in the mucosal immune system: what happens in the microcompartments?Immunology Today, 1999
- Development of Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue in Chronic Hypersensitivity PneumonitisChest, 1999