Immunological changes related to oral tolerance

Background The default response to protein antigens in the intestine is the induction of systemic and local hyporesponsiveness (OT). There is increasing interest in the role of dietary manipulation and probiotics in the development and prevention of allergic and other diseases. Little is known how the environment and nutritional factors modulate systemic and local immune responses. This presentation addresses immunological mechanisms at the interface of innate and adaptive immunity that determine how the body responds to orally administered proteins and how local microbiota may modify these.