Mucosal Immunity and the Intestinal Microbiome in the Development of Critical Illness

Figure 1

Major changes in the gut mucosa under the circumstances of critical illness. Injured mucosal tissues with widespread apoptosis, histological disorganization, and a disrupted intestinal barrier face an altered microbial flora with pathological composition and increased virulence. Damageous products from the stressed intestine gain access to the gut lymph.