Fig 1.
The multi-tasking nature of the intestinal vasculature.
At steady state, the intestinal epithelial barrier and the GVB control systemic microbial dissemination and the recruitment of circulatory cells to maintain a tolerogenic environment. During the tissue-invasive stages of diverse parasitic helminth species, a presumed loss of epithelial and endothelial barrier integrity results in a rapid and robust accumulation of inflammatory cells and tissue damage [8]. In this context, both helminth- and host-derived factors contribute to establishing a state of vascular tolerance to limit tissue damage and promote repair. GVB, gut-vascular barrier.