In: Biology
Explain what MALT is and give a couple of examples? What role does it play in the body's defenses?
The mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), also called mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue, is a system of small concentrations of lymphoid tissue found in submucosal membrane sites of the body, such as the gastrointestinal tract, oral passage, nasopharyngeal tract, thyroid, breast, lung, salivary glands, eye, and skin.
MALT is populated by lymphocytes such as T cells and B cells, as well as plasma cells and macrophages, each of which is situated to encounter antigens passing through the mucosal epithelium. In the case of intestinal MALT, M cells are also present, which sample antigen from the lumen and deliver it to the lymphoid tissue.
MALT plays a role in immunity of mucosa . It may be the site of lymphoma, usually non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A specific entity is the MALT lymphoma linked to Helicobacter pylori in the stomach.