Pulmonary defence mechanisms

Lung defence involves a wide array of mechanisms needed to remove inhaled p articles and organisms. The various innate immune processes which take plac e either in the central or in the more distant airways are reviewed. The re cruitment and the development of an adaptive immunity following the innate response are described, This entails the production of secretory immunoglob ulins in the airways and either the influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in the alveoli to phagocytose more or less opsonized organisms or the acti vation of the T lymphocyte response to improve the removal of intracellular pathogens.