ABSTRACT
This chapter devotes to a discussion of a limited number of cytokines that have been implicated in the regulation of mucosal immune responses or intestinal inflammation. It addresses the cell types that secrete these cytokines will be discussed and the regulatory role of lymphocytes in the lamina propria. It also discusses the potential effect of inflammatory and immune responses on the integrity of the mucosal epithelium. The chapter presents most of the information which is derived from studies using murine or human cell types or tissues rather than other animal models. It provides some insight to the complexities associated with health and disease of the intestinal mucosa. The potential deleterious role of lymphocytes and their cytokines in disease of domestic and companion animals is unknown. It is anticipated that porcine lymphocytes secrete cytokines similar to those demonstrated for mice and humans, and the elucidation of these responses may aid in the elucidation of pathological mechanisms associated with porcine enteric disease.
