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Nongluten Wheat Proteins Triggered Immune Response in Celiac Patients
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The immune systems of patients with celiac disease reacted to specific nongluten proteins found in wheat in addition to gluten, according to new research.
“This work is the first to attempt mapping of the B-cell response to nongluten proteins of wheat in celiac disease,” Armin Alaedini, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Institute of Human Nutrition and the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, said in a press release. “Although we can’t draw direct conclusions about the pathogenic effects of the proteins yet, these findings should prompt a closer look into their potential involvement in the inflammatory processes at work in celiac disease.”
Armin Alaedini
Alaedini and colleagues collected serum samples from 120 participants, 50 of whom had biopsy-proven celiac disease (mean age, 44.6 years; 18 male; 46 white), 20 with dermatitis herpetiformis (mean age, 43.1 years; 11 male; all white) and 50 were healthy controls (mean age, 37.1 years; 20 male, 46 white). Both the celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis patients were on a diet containing gluten. Serum immunoglobulin G and IgA antibodies to gluten and nongluten wheat protein extracts were tested in all patients. Antibody reactivity to specific nongluten proteins was analyzed by 2-D gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Immunoreactive molecules were identified by tandem mass spectrometry, and reactivity toward purified recombinant proteins was assessed for further confirmation.
Besides higher mean levels of IgA and IgG antibodies to gluten proteins in the celiac disease (both P<.0001) and dermatitis herpetiformis samples (P<.001 and P<.0001, respectively), they also had increased serum IgA and IgG antibody reactivity to the nongluten proteins (all P<.0001) compared with controls. The specific nongluten proteins to which celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis patients were most frequently reactive were serpins (75%), purinins (65%), alpha-amylase/protease inhibitors (60%), globulins (40%) and farinins (35%).
Peter H. R. Green
“These results indicate that immunologic reactivity in celiac disease may not be limited to wheat gluten, but can involve certain nongluten proteins, too,” study researcher Peter H. R. Green, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center, said in the press release. “I think the findings have implications for understanding the mechanism of the disease and developing new therapeutics.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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