Frequency and potential cause of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in fetal lungs

Bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue consists of lymphoid follicles with or without a germinal center within the bronchial wall. Bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue is part of the integrated mucosal immune system and present in about 50% of healthy infants. We examined a series of 141 fetal and neona...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric allergy and immunology 2005-06, Vol.16 (4), p.295-298
Main Authors: Ersch, Jörg, Tschernig, Thomas, Stallmach, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
amniotic infection
Autopsy
Biological and medical sciences
Bronchi - embryology
Bronchi - immunology
Bronchi - pathology
bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue
Chorioamnionitis - immunology
Chorioamnionitis - pathology
Female
Humans
Immunopathology
Infant, Newborn
Lymphoid Tissue - embryology
Lymphoid Tissue - immunology
Lymphoid Tissue - pathology
Medical sciences
mucosal immune system
neonatal lung
Pregnancy
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Summary:Bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue consists of lymphoid follicles with or without a germinal center within the bronchial wall. Bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue is part of the integrated mucosal immune system and present in about 50% of healthy infants. We examined a series of 141 fetal and neonatal lungs and detected bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue in 100% of cases with amniotic infection while postpartum perinatal pneumonia did not elicit bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue formation. Only rarely and in low density, bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue was present in non‐infected fetuses. The in utero formation of bronchus‐associated lymphoid tissue seems to be a reactive phenomenon and – as has been shown in another study – does not portend an adverse prognosis.
ISSN:0905-6157
1399-3038
DOI:10.1111/j.1399-3038.2005.00269.x