“All Disease Begins in the Gut”: Elucidating Disease Mechanism Related to Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction
Keszthelyi, D.
2012
Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit: The Gastrointestinal Tract

Tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells form a selective barrier, which regulate paracellular traffic of luminal substances into the lamina propria. As the gut is the primary site of exposure to antigens, this barrier function plays an important role in systemic immune function. Accumulating evidence suggests that the disturbance in intestinal barrier function has a causative role in the pathogenesis of several systemic diseases, including diabetes mellitus.