Zonulin, regulation of tight junctions, and autoimmune diseases

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1258; no. 1; pp. 25 - 33
• Main Author: Fasano, Alessio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.07.2012; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Absorption; Amino Acid Sequence; Antigens; Autoimmune diseases; Autoimmune Diseases - physiopathology; autoimmunity; Cholera Toxin - physiology; Gliadin - chemistry; Gliadin - metabolism; Haptoglobins; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa - physiopathology; intestine; Molecular Sequence Data; Nutrients; Physiology; Protein Precursors; tight junctions; Tight Junctions - physiology; zonulin

Recent studies indicate that besides digestion and absorption of nutrients and water and electrolytes homeostasis, another key function of the intestine is to regulate the trafficking of environmental antigens across the host mucosal barrier. Intestinal tight junctions (TJs) create gradients for the...