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Immunoprivileged Sites: The Testis

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Suppression and Regulation of Immune Responses

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 677))

Abstract

The testis is an immunological privileged tissue as evidenced by its ability to support grafts with minimal rejection. Immune privilege is essential for the tolerance of neo-antigens from developing germ cells that appear after the constitution of self-tolerance, but imposes the paradoxical task of also providing efficient protection against pathogens and tumor cells. It is becoming increasingly clear that immune privilege cannot be attributed to a single factor such as the sequestration of neo-antigens from the immune system behind the blood–testis barrier, but is based on a complex multifaceted interplay between cells and factors that are essential for the reproductive function of the testis and the testicular immune system. This review summarizes the evidence that has accumulated regarding the role of Sertoli cells, androgens, and selected population of leukocytes in the maintenance of immune privilege and its perturbation in testicular inflammatory sub- and infertility.

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Acknowledgments

The grant support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Clinical Research Unit KFO 181, Me 1323/4-4) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are grateful to Dr. Con Mallidis (MĂĽnster, Germany) for linguistic help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany

    Monika Fijak, Sudhanshu Bhushan & Andreas Meinhardt

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  1. Monika Fijak
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  2. Sudhanshu Bhushan
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  3. Andreas Meinhardt
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Correspondence to Andreas Meinhardt .

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  1. CHUHotel Dieu, INSERM UMR 643, Bd. Jean Monnet 30, Nantes, 44093, France

    Maria Cristina Cuturi

  2. CHU Hotel Dieu, INSERM UMR 643, Bd. Jean Monnet 30, Nantes, 44093, France

    Ignacio Anegon

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Fijak, M., Bhushan, S., Meinhardt, A. (2010). Immunoprivileged Sites: The Testis. In: Cuturi, M., Anegon, I. (eds) Suppression and Regulation of Immune Responses. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 677. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-869-0_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-869-0_29

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