Skin immunity

<p>Skin immunity is a property of <a href="/facts/Skin/4havlLzG">skin</a> that allows it to resist infections from <a href="/facts/Pathogen/axMXtV1M">pathogens</a>. In addition to providing a passive physical barrier against infection, the skin also contains elements of the <a href="/facts/Innate_immune_system/lz4BpSQI">innate</a> and <a href="/facts/Adaptive_immune_system/bc7zT1Jo">adaptive immune systems</a> which allows it to actively fight infections.  Hence the skin provides defense in depth against infection.
</p><p>The skin acts as a barrier, a kind of sheath, made of several layers of cells and their related glands. The skin is a dynamic organ that contains different cells which contains elements of the innate and the adaptive immune systems which are activated when the tissue is under attack by invading pathogens. Shortly after infection, the immune adaptive response is induced by <a href="/facts/Dendritic_cell/19KBuKFK">dendritic cells</a> (<a href="/facts/Langerhans_cell/4UoNJ8K7">Langerhans cells</a>) present in the <a href="/facts/Epidermis_(skin)/JvRABubP">epidermis</a>; they are responsible for the capture, processing, and presentation of <a href="/facts/Antigen/9JlAernG">antigens</a> to <a href="/facts/T_lymphocyte/5z6PQ9UN">T lymphocytes</a> in local <a href="/facts/Lymphoid/yw5QLgMT">lymphoid</a> organs. As a result, T lymphocytes express the cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) molecule, a modified form of <a href="/facts/P-selectin_glycoprotein_ligand-1/K3aR5tT4">P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1</a>. Lymphocytes move to the epidermis where they reside as <a href="/facts/Memory_T_cell/xsavrTuS">memory T cells</a>, they will thus be activated and will trigger an <a href="/facts/Inflammatory_response/Ura86MIy">inflammatory response</a>. Dysregulation of these mechanisms is associated with <a href="/facts/Inflammatory_disease/Ura86MIy">inflammatory diseases</a> of the skin.
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Skin immunity open-in-new

Skin immunity