THE LOCAL IMMUNITY IS A PART OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL DEFENSE MECHANISM

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses experimental results showing that the local immunity is a part of the gastrointestinal defense mechanism. An influence observed in the anacid gastric juice may not be an enzymatic effect but a result of the decomposition/putrefaction. Under physiological circumstances, there occurs an intensive proteolysis in the stomach and the duodenum but in the case of anacidity, a process of decomposition must also be taken into account. Accordingly, the local immune reaction acting independently of the general immune reaction defends the host against an invasion of antigens from outside, when the aspecific physiochemical factors present in the first line of protection, the effect of normacid gastric juice, proteoloysis in the stomach, and the duodenum, are impaired.