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Hépato-Gastro & Oncologie Digestive

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Intraepithelial lymphocytes: impact in gastroenterology Volume 19, issue 5, Mai 2012

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Authors
Université Paris Descartes, 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, 75 015 Paris, Inserm U989, 156 rue de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, service d’anatomo-pathologie, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris

The intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are in the epithelium at the interplay with the outside environment. The LIE are variable and their particular position suggests both a role in innate and adaptative immune response against pathogens during infections or against alimentary antigens when tolerance is broken. The impaired homeostasis of intestinal IEL may induce clonal expansion at the origin of lymphomatous complications as it is the case in celiac disease. In this review we address a brief description of intestinal IEL and discuss their role in digestive pathology.