Is there a mucosal immune system associated with the mammalian oviduct?
Biol Res
; 31(4): 329-38, 1998.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10029896
The oviduct is a key component of the reproductive system where essential states such as spermatozoa capacitation, fertilization and early embryo development take place. Recently, an additional role for the entire female reproductive tract has emerged with important implications for our understanding and management of reproductive health, namely, its role in mounting local immune responses against microbial pathogens. Most of the evidence about mucosal immune responses in the female reproductive tract is related to the vagina, with less information available for the uterus. The less known segment in this regard is the oviduct, which prompted us to review and summarize the current state of knowledge on the immune system at the level of the mammalian oviduct. A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline and--for the last two years--also in Current Contents. Result demonstrate that the mammalian oviduct is endowed with many of the elements that characterize a mucosal immune system. However, there are gaps in our knowledge that, in addition to important interspecies differences, make it essential to explore further some fundamental questions regarding this system.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Tubas Uterinas
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Res
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
1998
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Chile
País de publicação:
Reino Unido