Gluten sensitivity - Background of the disease

9 important questions on Gluten sensitivity - Background of the disease

What happens to the intestine of CD patients?

Healthy finger formed villi are damaged and lost.

What symptoms do people with CD have?

  • Malabsorption problem --> osteoporosis, anaemia (due to iron deficiency)
  • Skin disorders --> dermatitis herpetiformis (DH)

How was CD diagnose before?

By a biopsy
  1. Gluten-free diet, biopsy to check for recovered intestinal mucosa
  2. Daily portion of 10 g gluten for 4 weeks. Another biopsy taken, damaged mucosa
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What are diagnostic tests to establish CD?

  • Serologic tests, IgA-anti-endomysium (IgA-EMA) and IgA-anti tissue transglutamiase (IgA-tTG) antibodies
  • A small bowel biopsy establishing the absence of villi remains the golden standard
  • With a strict gluten-free diet both the symptoms of Celiac Disease and the histological changes in the intestinal mucosa should disappear
  • Positive genetic marker(s)

Do CD patients always have symptoms?

No

Which genes are present in 90% of the CD patients?

HLA-DQA1*05 and HLA-DQB1*02 genes that code for the HLA-DQ1 hetero-dimer.

Why does the presence of DQ2 not predict well for CD?

  • CD is the result of an interaction between the environment (gluten exposure) and a genetic susceptibility
  • CD is a polygenetic disease, exposure to gluten is a prerequisite to acquiring the disease

What is the toxic mechanism of CD?

  1. Gluten peptides reach the gut epithelium
  2. (partly) deaminated by an enzyme, tissue type transglutaminase (TTG)
  3. Specific gliadin or gluten peptides are able to bind to an antigen presenting cell (APC)
  4. This cell presents the antigen to a CD4 T-cell, which becomes activated and produces signals that activate both
    1. plasma cells (production of anti IgA and TTG)
    2. lymphocytes
  5. Activation of T cells is thought to start a cascade of reactions that lead to damage of the intestinal epithelium

What is the difference between an IgE-mediated allergy and CD?

CD
  • no antibodies involved
  • 1 single binding peptide is sufficient
  • adverse reaction delayed
  • lifelong disease


IgE-mediated allergy
  • antibodies involved
  • at least 2 binding sites must be present
  • adverse reaction fast
  • can be transient, doesn't have to be lifelong (cow's milk and soy)

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