Year: 2000
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The human body is always in close contact with billions of bacteria located at all mucosal\\nsites and prominently in the gut. This bacterial population, commonly referred to as the\\nmicroflora, is established early following birth, remains constant in a given individual over\\nhis or her life span and is of great importance to the host. The bacteria degrade and ferment\\nmany of the food components that are not absorbed in the small intestine. Furthermore, the\\nintestinal flora acts as a barrier against food-borne pathogenic bacteria. The mucosal flora\\nalso represents a large amount of potent immunostimulatory structures like lipopolysaccharides\\n(LPS) in gram-negative bacteria and peptidoglycan (PG) in both gram-negative and\\ngram-positive bacteria. These structures are important in the resistance to infections but it is\\ncOlrunonly believed that these structures are the major cause of bacterially induced sepsis.\\nIt has also been suggested that PG is involved in the persistence of chronic inflammation.\\nIn this thesis the role of PG in the pathogenesis of the chronic inflammatory diseases rheumatoid\\narthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) is studied. In this chapter an introduction\\nwill be given about PG and its biological activities, and about the pathogenesis ofRA and MS.
Author: Ingrid A. Schrijver
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2125197867