Physiological role of TNF in mucosal immunology : Regulation of macrophage/dendritic cell function
Intestinal mononuclear phagocytes, comprising macrophages (MΦs) and dendritic cells (DCs), play important roles in the generation and the regulation of immune responses to intestinal antigens, and alterations in the development and/or the function of these cells are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. In this review, we discuss the role of tumor necrosis factor