Popis: |
It is widely believed (Brandtzaeg, 1985; Delacroix & Vaerman, 1983; Tomana, Kulhavy & Mestecky, 1988; Brown & Kloppel, 1989) that the polymeric IgA receptor (pIgAR) cannot be detected in or on human hepatocytes. In rats and several other species it is accepted that hepatocytes synthesize the pIgAR and use it to transfer polymeric IgA (pIgA) across the cell from blood to bile. At the biliary face of the hepatocyte, the pIgAR is proteolytically cleaved, releasing either secretory IgA (sIgA) when pIgA has been bound or free secretory component (FSC). |