PLEASE NOTE THAT A MORE RECENT EDITION OF THIS TITLE IS AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY

This chapter is made up of three parts: 5a Gastrointestinal immunology; 5b Biopsy: sample collection; 5c Biopsy: handling, processing and interpretation. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract has the highest concentration of immunological tissue within the body, which is not surprising given the continual bombardment of the GI mucosal surface with antigenic material. A clear knowledge of the anatomy and function of the GI system is essential for understanding the pathogenesis and management options for the spectrum of immune-mediated diseases that affect the GI tract (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease; dietary hypersensitivity; small intestinal bacterial overgrowth; antibiotic-responsive diarrhoea).