Development of mucosal immune function in man: potential for GI disease states.
The human mucosal immune system is structurally mature and has all the necessary cellular components to generate an immune response at birth. However, in the absence of dietary antigens and bacterial flora, there are no secondary follicles in the Peyer's patches and virtually no immunoglobulin A plasma cells in the lamina propria. Reactive follicle centers develop after birth but it takes 2 years for mucosal IgA plasma cell density to reach adult levels. T cells are present in the epithelium and lamina propria at birth, albeit at a lower frequency than later in life and there are major differences in phenotype between T cells in fetal intestine and postnatal intestine. There is no information on the impact of the massive antigenic challenge at birth on the mucosal immune system. Well-documented deficiencies in the ability of the blood T cells of the neonate to produce interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma may also occur in the intestine. It is still an open question whether it is better to try to prevent immunological sensitization of the newborn by avoiding potential allergens (i.e. cow's milk), or whether early exposure (as happens when premature infants are given formula feeds) might tolerize the infant. Hydrolysed cow's milk formulae are probably less antigenic than whole cow's milk and have been widely used in the treatment of cow's milk allergy. Some thought is now being given as to whether the prophylactic use of hydrolysates can reduce cow's milk allergy in 'at-risk' infants.