Does the stress signal extracellular ATP modulate antiflagellin immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells?
Together, these data indicate that stress, in the form of extracellular ATP, reshapes both the inflammatory response of flagellin-stimulated IECs and downstream adaptive immunity, representing a possible strategy by which these cells differentiate between commensal and pathogenic bacteria.
We conclude that the endothelial apoptosis and vascular collagen V interaction reinforce the vascular pathway in the SSc pathogenesis. Further studies are needed to determine whether this relationship is causal or consequential.