Mesothelial cells and pleural immunology

Mesothelial cells are specialized cells that cover the pleural surface as well as other serosal surfaces of most internal organs. Mesothelial cells can have dierent phenotypes which are likely to reect dierences in the functions of parietal and visceral pleura, as well as their activational state, particularly following injury. Mesothelial cells synthesize and secrete glycosaminoglycans and surfactant1 to provide lubrication between parietal and visceral pleura and play critical roles in the maintenance of pleural homeostasis in response to stimuli: mechanical injury, inammation, and immunoregulation. e main pleural pathologies are infections (tuberculosis [TB], other bacterial, and viral infections), brosis (adhesions, loculations, and pleural plaques), and cancers (e.g., mesothelioma). is chapter summarizes our present knowledge on the biology of mesothelial cells, focusing on immune regulation in the pleura and highlighting key cytokines that drive inammatory and immune responses