MALT Full Form

Malt is made from germinated cereal grains that have been dried by a process called “malting.” Soaking the grain in water causes it to germinate, but drying it with hot air prevents it from germinating further.

MALT, also known as mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue, is a diffuse system of tiny concentrations of lymphoid tissue present in numerous submucosal membrane regions of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, nasopharynx, thyroid, breast, lung, salivary glands, eye, and skin. T cells and B cells, as well as plasma cells and macrophages, fill MALT, and each is well positioned to encounter antigens travelling through the mucosal epithelium. M cells are also present in intestinal MALT, which collect antigen from the lumen and transfer it to lymphoid tissue. MALT make up nearly half of the lymphoid tissue in the human body. Mucosal immunology studies immune responses that occur in mucous membranes.

MALT

The lymphatic system is made up of cells and tissues called lymphoid tissues. Primary lymphoid tissues and lymphocyte development sites are the bone marrow and thymus. Secondary lymphoid tissue includes lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, and Peyer’s patches. Lymphoid tissue has a number of different structural organisations that are connected to its role in the immune response.

MALTs are lymphoid tissues associated with mucosal surfaces of almost any organ, but especially those of the digestive, genitourinary, and respiratory tracts, which are constantly exposed to a wide range of potentially harmful microorganisms and thus require their own antigen capture and lymphocyte presentation system.

Follicles, interfollicular regions, follicle-associated epithelium and subepithelial dome regions are all found in mucosal lymphoid tissues, despite their diverse positions. Immune responses to specific antigens found on all mucosal surfaces are activated by mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.

Antigen sampling and immune responses are initiated at MALT inductive sites, which are secondary immune tissues. The respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary tracts contain the majority (> 50%) of lymphoid tissue in the human body.

Categorisation

MALT’s components are sometimes classified into the following categories:

• Gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) ( Peyer’s patches are a GALT component found in the small intestinal lining.)
• BALT (bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue)
• NALT (nasal-associated lymphoid tissue)
• CALT (conjunctival-associated lymphoid tissue)
• LALT is a word that is used to describe a (larynx-associated lymphoid tissue)
• SALT (skin-associated lymphoid tissue)
• VALT (vulvo-vaginal-associated lymphoid tissue)
• TALT (testis-associated lymphoid tissue)

It can also be characterised by the tissue’s level of organisation:

• The tonsils of Waldeyer’s tonsillar ring, in particular, are O-MALT (organised mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue).
• Diffuse MALT(D-MALT) (diffuse mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue) is MALT that is not organised as a discrete macroscopically anatomically identifiable mass, tissue, or organ (like O-MALT).

Role in Disease

MALT is involved in mucosal immunity regulation. Lymphomas, usually non-Hodgkin lymphoma, can be found there. The marginal zone B-cell lymphoma is a distinct entity (a subtype of which is termed MALT lymphoma). Helicobacter pylori infection is frequent in some kinds of marginal zone B cell lymphomas, such as those that develop in the stomach. Peyer’s Patches, which are clusters of lymphoid follicles in the mucus membrane, keep a tight eye on the GALT to keep pathogens at bay. Because M cells in Peyer’s Patches are responsible for antigen adhesion and transport across a single layer of epithelial cells, failure in these structures is likely to provide a pathogen entrance route.

More about MALTomas

MALTomas, or extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas, are caused by chronic inflammation of MALT caused by infections or autoimmune diseases. MALTomas are most commonly found in the stomach, although they can also be found in the following places:

• Salivary glands
• Skin
• Orbits and conjunctiva
• Thyroid
• Lung
• Breast
• Upper airways
• Liver
• Other gastrointestinal (GI) sites

Different MALTomas at different locations may have different genetic lesions and natural histories.

MALTomas have vague symptoms that are connected to the organs involved. The majority of MALToma patients have no clinical symptoms, and lymphadenopathy is uncommon. It can be difficult to stage MALTomas. Imaging studies aren’t very good at seeing normal MALT, but they can assist diagnose and stage MALTomas. Endoscopy could be beneficial. Aspiration and biopsy results of the bone marrow can indicate bone marrow involvement.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antibiotics for Helicobacter pylori infection, chemotherapy, radiation, and, in some cases, surgical intervention are also options for treatment.

Conclusion

The most extensive component of human lymphoid tissue is mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), which is dispersed along mucosal linings in the body. These surfaces shield the body from a large number of different antigens. MALT includes the tonsils, Peyer patches in the small intestine, and the vermiform appendix.

MALT is believed to comprise gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), bronchial/tracheal-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT), nose-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT), and vulvovaginal-associated lymphoid tissue (VALT) because the nomenclature incorporates location (VALT). MALT is also found in the digestive system’s auxiliary organs, particularly the parotid gland.