Advances in mucosal immunology

Gastrointestinal disease is one of the most common manifestations of HIV infection. The gastrointestinal tract contains abundant quantities of lymphoid tissue and is Likely to function as a reservoir of HIV infection, a site of profound immune dysregulation, and a target for opportunistic infection and malignancy. The purpose of this article is to describe the mucosal immune system in health and to summarize the perturbations reported in association with HIV infection.