THURSDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers believe they
have finally answered a basic question about the cause of celiac
disease -- where in the body does the wheat protein gluten enter
one's system?
A study published in the July issue of
Gastroenterology identifies the CXCR3 receptor in the
intestine as a gluten gateway. When people with celiac disease eat
gluten, the protein triggers their immune system to attack the
body, causing a wide range of serious health problems.
"This is a scientific question that had never been answered
before," Dr. Alessio Fasano, medical director of the Center for
Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine,
said in an university news release. "It is not only significant in
the basic science of autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease,
but in therapeutic approaches for the future. This opens a new
scientific paradigm for the study of immunity."
The research team found that gliadin, the part of gluten that
causes the most trouble for those with celiac disease, binds to the
CXCR3 receptor. This results in the release of zonulin, a human
protein that lowers the intestinal barrier to make it more
permeable. While this effect is temporary in most people, the
barrier stays down for long periods of time in people with celiac
disease, causing disruption in the body's system.
The finding may help in research on the cause and treatment for
other autoimmune diseases, Fasano said. People with type 1 diabetes
and multiple sclerosis may experience a similar condition in which
offending antigens enter the body through this gateway in the
intestines.
"For the first time, we have evidence of how the foreign antigen
gains access to the body, causing the autoimmune response," said
Fasano, who is also a pediatric gastroenterologist at the
University of Maryland Medical Center. "Further study is needed,
but this could allow us to intervene before the zonulin is either
released or activated, preventing the immune response
altogether."
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about
celiac disease.
