The gastrointestinal tract is the largest immunologic organ in the body. It is constantly
bombarded by a myriad of dietary proteins. Despite the extent of protein exposure, very few
patients have food allergies because of development of oral tolerance to these antigens.
Once proteins contact the intestinal surface, they are sampled by different cells and,
depending on their characteristics, result in different responses. Antigens might be taken up
by Microfold cells overlying Peyer's patches, dendritic cells, or epithelial cells. Different cells …